A person can be both an introvert and socially anxious. Both introverts and extroverts can experience social anxiety. But being an introvert does not mean you are socially anxious.
Believe it or not, it's not the same! If you avoid social situations, you could be asocial, or you could be an introvert if you love spending time alone. But what about people who feel threatened in a social situation? Well, it could be a totally different mental health disorder.
Those with social anxiety may avoid meeting new people – and even when they do meet and enjoy someone, their fears may hold them back from getting closer or inviting the new person to spend time together. Introverts are generally open to connecting with new people, as long as they can do it on their own terms.
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.
Many biological conditions can lead to social difficulties, including autism. However, not all autistic individuals will display social awkwardness (though they may struggle inwardly). Moreover, not everyone who is socially awkward is autistic. And, in fact, they don't necessarily have a diagnosable condition.
On average, introverts and extroverts are the same in terms of intelligence.
While extroverted traits like these are part of the ADHD experience for some people, they're not everyone's experience. In fact, many people with ADHD identify with introverted traits. Whether that's needing time alone to recharge, spending lots of time in their own head or feeling overwhelmed by external stimuli.
Social awkwardness is common in those who have social anxiety disorder. Those with social anxiety disorder know and recognize social cues, so they will experience anxiety because of their fear of messing up in public. This can lead to a lot of embarrassment.
Introverts are empathetic and will respect your opinions.
Even when they don't feel the same way, they're good at understanding the perspectives of others. Their sensitivity prevents them from saying things that invalidate your feelings or leave you feeling unnecessarily hurt.
In many cases, social awkwardness comes from extreme anxiety. Social anxiety is more than just feeling shy. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 12.1% of U.S. adults experience a social anxiety disorder at some time in their lives.
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.
More importantly, the understanding that introverts lack social skills are not necessarily true. Many introverts function very well in social situations (Costa and McCrae, 2006), although they might prefer to avoid them due to the overwhelming feeling by too much social engagement (Helgoe, 2008).
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.
People with ADHD tend to talk — a lot. We talk because we're excited or nervous, or because we just want to be a part of the conversation. Sometimes we talk simply to fill the silence because silence is hard for us.
Introversion is genetic
Many people believe that being an extrovert versus an introvert is due to their environment, but it is most likely due to genetic traits. An example of this is due to the genetic correlation of genes to stimulation alertness.
They Love To Stare
Introverts prefer to admire you from a distance by staring at you and since they are not expert in hiding their feelings, you could easier catch them staring at you. When an introvert is interested in you, he admires you and thinks of the both of you in his reality.
Are you born introverted or is it something you become over time? Introverts likely develop due to a combination of both nature and nurture. The way that your body's physiology responds to the outside environment plays a critical role in determining your level of extroversion and introversion.
Introverts tend to be more prone to overthinking than extroverts, but it's possible for anyone to fall into this trap. Being an introvert means you have a tendency towards self-reflection that can take its toll if you're not careful.
Introverts enjoy spending time in nature as it makes them feel more grounded and at peace. Being surrounded by the smell of rain feels like a piece of nature is with them inside the comfort of their own home. This sense of being grounded is important, as many superficial conversations can remove this feeling for them.
Over time, you may grow more comfortable in social situations. But Tashiro is quick to add that awkward people shouldn't feel compelled to change. "Kind people don't look down on awkward people," he says. "And awkward people can be interesting, bright, and motivated, and they can be loyal friends."