Your acquaintances think you are sweet and quiet, but your friends think you're loud and crazy. Your family says you never shut up, but strangers think you never say a word. You aren't the type to befriend everyone who crosses your path, but you have a good many best friends. You feel like you are more outgoing than an introvert but shyer than an extrovert. If this sounds like you, you may fall into the minority group that I call the "shy extroverts."
You don't like to be alone in your room most of the time, so you are an extrovert. But no, you will not strike up a conversation with that guy you barely know in your 8 a.m. class — that makes you shy. I have come to a conclusion over the years that not very many people share this unique personality type, so you are misunderstood by many.
So to all of the "shy extroverts" out there, don't worry because I understand you. I understand how you feel when someone calls you stuck up or conceited, but in reality, you are just too shy to talk to them. I understand how you feel when your mom thinks that you have a social disorder because she sees you talking 90 to nothing at the dinner table, but when it comes to flagging down the waiter to ask for a refill, you freeze up. I understand that mind game you play with yourself all the time: "Should I or should I not join in on the group conversation." I understand your worst nightmare, which is those "fun" get-to-know-each-other games. I understand how thankful you are for that friend who introduces you to people so you don't have to do it alone. I know how awkward you feel in the midst of a group of people who have been friends for years. I understand how relieved you feel when that guy you have wanted to talk to finally strikes up that first conversation. And most of all, I know how it feels to hear the phrase, "Wow, I thought you were quiet until I got to know you," way too many times.
To all the people who do not understand the life of a shy extrovert, you should know that we are not mute, stuck up or socially awkward (well, maybe a little awkward), but we are mainly just too shy to strike up that first conversation. BUT beware because, once we get to know you, we become a completely different person. That innocent, quiet girl (Rylee) you once knew will become that loud, obnoxious girl (Rowdy Ry) you can always hear from a mile away. Once we get to know you, we truly embrace our extrovert side and never look back.
College has brought me out of my shell greatly because it has forced me to make new friends and step out of the comfort zone of my high school graduating class of 23. However, up until this point in my life, I was the true definition of a "shy extrovert." Many extroverts argue that the words shy and extrovert should not be in the same sentence, but if you talk to any shy extrovert or family and friends of a shy extrovert, they will tell you that it is a VERY real thing. Just try getting to know a shy extrovert and you will quickly see what I am talking about.
