Being an introvert doesn't necessarily mean you're socially awkward, but the two do sometimes overlap. Certainly, as in my case, the fear of feeling anxious and awkward in social settings can cause us to lean into our introversion.
How can I tell the difference? Social anxiety is not just an extreme form of introversion. Introversion is related to social energy, while social anxiety is a mental health condition related to fear of social interactions.
While introverts may appear to lack social skills or be antisocial, neither is true. Their style of social interaction is simply different from that of extroverts. They tend to listen more than they talk and are excellent listeners.
While research suggests social anxiety may be somewhat more common in introverted people, there's still a lot of variability in individual personality traits. If you're more conscientious, you might feel anxious about missing important details or giving an impression of unreliability.
People who are natural introverts often feel pressure to change. They worry that they are not outgoing enough, and so sometimes they push themselves to socialize in ways that cause them more stress than enjoyment.
Introverts are not the type to wear their hearts on their sleeves. Instead, we often have our guard up, and it can take a lot of one-on-one time for us to finally let down those walls. This can make dating difficult, especially when the other person wants to know more than we're willing to share.
Though introverts may be perceived as intimidating due to these qualities, they simply have different priorities and values. This is the way they are, and it works for them. Introverts do not intentionally intimidate others; they just tend to get caught up in doing so inadvertently.
Big Crowds
Swarms of strangers can be a fear for many people for various reasons, but it is particularly common for anxious introverts. Introverts gather their energy from being alone, but that doesn't mean the “all alone in a crowd of people” thing always works.
This means that introverts may process more information per second than extroverts, which helps explain why introverts are prone to overthinking.
While introverts are generally likely to report lower levels of happiness than extroverts, this does not mean that introverts are unhappy. Ultimately, it's important to note the happiness benefits of both introverted and extroverted behavior, no matter where you fall on the spectrum.
However, your answer to that question doesn't determine the end-all be-all of emotional intelligence, and your answer may not be one or the other. Extroverted introverts and introverted extroverts exist, and there are certainly introverts who have developed high emotional intelligence.
Studies showed that introverts tend to have lower self-esteem than extraverts (Bown and Richek, 1969; Tolor, 1975; Cheng and Furnham, 2003; Swickert et al., 2004).
Nonetheless, Introverts who choose certain paths may need, at times, to learn to “out talk” their Extraverted friends and colleagues in order to succeed. Because of this, they may speak a lot more than they might if the world were ruled by Introverts based on more Introverted standards.
How do I know if I am socially inept? The key signs of being socially inept or socially awkward include feeling super nervous in social situations, experiencing a lot of awkward silence in the conversation, or noticing people avoid conversation with you.
Introversion isn't totally genetic. It gets influenced by your environment at a young age, and our genes allow a certain amount of flexibility in response. This happens through “set points,” which are the upper and lower limits of how much extroversion your brain can handle.
Are introverts clingy? Introversion isn't a sign of clinginess either way, explains Aaron. An introverted person can be clingy or prefer distance, same as any non-introverted person.
Are introverts attractive? Yes, and their gentle personality is one of those reasons. Introverts appeal to people because they're easy to be around. Even though it's a common misconception that they're stuck up, their aura is indeed welcoming.
Yes, emotional trauma can cause a person to become a lot more introverted. Along with something as small as a loud noise more traumatic events can clearly change the way that someone acts.
Introverts can become temporarily disillusioned by incidents that leave them feeling slighted, disrespected, overlooked, or mistreated. For a few hours they may become disillusioned not just with the person who caused their anger, but with humanity in general.
Even though introverted people tend to prefer time alone, they can also experience feelings of loneliness.
One of the most prevalent myths out there about introverts is that they are shy, insecure, and have low self-esteem. It's an unfair assumption based on our outward mannerisms, personality, and our desire to be in smaller groups or alone. But the reality is that introverts can be shy, just as extroverts can be shy.
Introversion, shyness and anxiety
Introverts can experience a bit of anxiety when they need to speak in social situations. Introducing themselves, talking to a stranger or public speaking are mentally draining for them. These are the examples of a definitely stressful situation out of their comfort zone.
Introverts are loyal and devoted friends.
People are attracted to loyal and devoted people. While introverts may not always realize it, this is a trait most people find attractive in them. Their loyalty isn't just attractive to the recipients of that devotion, but to anyone who observes them.