If it has not been made clear enough, I am an introvert. However, this is not by choice. I usually spend more time alone other than the fact I am forced to live in a room with someone. I struggle with reaching out to people or being socially awkward.
Coming to college is an introvert's worst nightmare. If you aren't social enough or go out enough, you are stuck in isolation. The problem is when I am around people, I am the opposite form introvert. It could be possible people just think I am straight up weird when I am trying to be social and choose to isolate me, but in other words, I am a closet extrovert.
A closet extrovert, also known as an outgoing introvert, is someone that was either over time forced to the side of introverted-ness or once put into place to no longer be an introvert around people/friends are extroverts.
This means if I am standing with a bunch of strangers outwardly may seem introverted, but on the inside, I am dying to put myself out there and make friends or hang out with people. I fear rejection and am highly self-conscious. My past has also caused me to interact with people with a guard up, for fear that I most likely will be cast aside for being awkward, strange, or weird. Thus I am forced to spend many hours on my own and hang out with myself.
The funny thing is if people ever stopped to look past my shyness and lack of ability to extrovertedly interact, they would begin to see that I will talk your ear off about anything and everything. I don't fear social interaction I fear the initial encounter. From this personal experience, I just want people to start recognizing some introverts cannot reach out to you for whatever reason deep inside.
Reach out to the introverts because inside they may be dying to no longer be an introvert stuck being alone. They may be inside beating themselves at that fact that they struggle to reach out and make friends. Introverts may turn out to become the most extroverted people once the barrier is broken. Some introverts also enjoy alone time and are not bothered by a lack of friends.
I only know from my personal experiences that I am not an introvert by choice, but was forced into attempting to enjoy a life of isolation.
