All your life you've been told that you're way too shy, you spend too much time by yourself, and you need to get out more. It may be hard for others to understand, but you know all too well what it's like to be an introvert and how people react to your behavior.

1. People often point out that you don't talk or socialize much.

This really gets on your nerves sometimes. If you don't have anything important to say, you don't feel the need to say anything at all, and you wish people understood that.

2. You're creative.

You're friends consider you the "crafty" or "artsy" friend— there's always some creation or project bouncing around in your cranium.

3. You love being alone.

A lot of people think you're antisocial, but you really just love to be alone with your thoughts.

4. Popping in headphones and listening to music is one of your favorite things to do.

It improves your mood, helps you focus, inspires you... is there anything music can't do?

5. You typically deny invites to social events and parties.

Not all the time, of course, but pretty often you just don't feel like getting out of the house. You'd take a relaxing night in over a raging party any day of the week.

6. You enjoy the company of your close friends, but it's hard to feel comfortable around new people.

It takes you a while to warm up to new people, and sometimes there are people you just can't warm up to. You often keep a close circle of friends because of this— you don't need anyone in your life who isn't going to effect your life positively.

7. You really enjoy being alone with your thoughts.

Whether it's daydreaming, brainstorming, or planning, you love to be alone with your thoughts and can't stand being interrupted.

8. Simple tasks like ordering take out or going to the bank make you uncomfortable and you try to avoid human contact as much as possible.

It might sound silly to some people but it's really terrifying to you to have to do things that others do on a daily basis without even thinking twice about it.

9. It's hard for you to make eye contact with people.

Eye contact always just feels... awkward. It's even difficult to look close friends and family in the eye sometimes.

10. You're great at expressing yourself, but you don't do it very often.

All that alone time has allowed you to learn a lot about yourself which makes it really easy to express how you fee and what you think, but you still like to keep it to yourself.

11. You prefer to hang out with animals rather than people.

Animals are your best friends. No joke.

12. You're really good at figuring people out.

After just a few conversations with people, you typically know what kind of person they are. You're very intuitive, which could be a contributing factor in your tendency to only keep close friends and not let just anyone into your life.

13. You give great advice.

People might not always take the advice you give, but they really should. You spend so much time observing people, analyzing situations, and learning about life that it has made you quite wise. But people are still going to do whatever they feel regardless of your long, insightful late night text messages.

14. You notice things that other people usually aren't aware of.

Sometimes you catch yourself laughing at a conversation you overheard or something you saw and no one else has any clue what just happened.

15. People always tell you that you'll open up more if you just "put yourself out there," but you know that's not the case.

Not many people understand that we can't be "fixed" by being forced into social situations or made to speak in front of a crowd. We are who we are, and nothing will change that.

Being an introvert isn't a bad thing and that's a concept that a lot of people just can't grasp. Introverts are some of the most kind, caring, and understanding individuals there are, and nothing about their behavior makes them strange or abnormal. Being friends with introverts can be trying sometimes, but if you stick with them they will prove to be some of the best people you'll encounter in your life.