Introverts -- they're everywhere, but I don't think you've really noticed. No, I'm not jabbing at the fact that they tend to be wall flowers or that they are "too quiet to be heard". I'm talking about introverts who have learned to adapt to their busy surroundings. These are the introverts that have cleverly disguised themselves as extroverts in order to fit in to society. Take a good look at your friends. How well do you really know them? Haven't you ever wondered what they're thinking? To you, that friend is just like everyone else. They laugh, they smile, they put their two cents into the conversation when it's due. Nothing is out of the ordinary, unless you are the introvert-in-disguise.
As an introvert, you're thinking about your own plans for the evening - like when you can go home. No offense to any extroverts, because introverts love the company and the feeling of belonging that you give them. They would just prefer to be quiet and listen. Introverts having to hide who they really are is very stressful. While they could withdrawal from the conversation, everyone else assumes they're upset or angry with someone. The introvert will assure that nothing is the matter and the conversation will continue. If this quiet behavior continues, the group will begin to think that the introvert is no longer interested in hanging out with them and begin to leave said person behind. Leaving the introvert to think had they just pretended to be engaged, they would still have friends.
This situation is not always true, and I can only hope that people would not be so quick to leave a friend behind. You can see how the situation could turn just by appearances and assumptions. Just because the introvert was truthful to themselves and to their friends, they feel as though they did something wrong. This is why so many introverts today have blended into society. This is not because they can't be seen, but because they are seen along with everyone else. All of this may seem very negative, but it is important for people to know that not all people are as they seem.
Finding friends as an introvert is definitely possible. The world is not only made up of "introverts" and "extroverts," but a mass variety of people in between. It all depends on who you can trust in the world and whether your feelings are mutual and beneficial. I am very much an introvert and my best friend is very much an extrovert. We didn't become friends because opposites attract. We became friends because we rely on each other for emotional support and fun times.
Be on the lookout for the secret introverts in your life.
