Being extroverted and outgoing is completely romanticized in today's culture. We are the people who can hold a conversation with anybody. We are the people who have never known the anxiety of public speaking or the fear of in-class presentations. First dates are all fun and games and flirting is one of our most practiced attributes. We are the entertainment at family functions and consistently the first person on the dance floor.
But, being the person that everyone relies on to carry conversation and come up with plans to go to and people to see isn't as easy as it seems.
1. It's virtually impossible to have secrets.
Whispering is not our forté and we face the consequences of this daily. The lunch table neighboring mine knows that my ex broke up with me over text at 2:59 am and that I kissed his best friend the next day and likely the entirety of my high school also knows about it. It's a personal problem, I know.
2. EVERYTHING we do is loud, not just talking.
The choice between drinking with or without a straw is really the choice between slurping and gulping. But, It's all fun and games until you try to eat a bag of chips in class. You'd swear your peers have never heard chewing before.
3. God forbid you're in a bad mood or else everyone thinks you're mad at them.
It's perfectly fine for introverts to sulk in the corner with a hood over their heads. But, if I don't greet the entire room with an interlude about the greatness that comes with living and a smile radiating with pure joy I am met with accusations of hating my friends. What's fair about that?
4. Sneaking out is impossible.
Tiptoeing is NOT our thing. Apparently, neither are stairs or two-story houses. Our parents never worried about us sneaking out because we'd have to make it down the stairs without sounding like a bull in a china shop first.
5. We feel an unjustifiable need to be the loudest person in the room.
We are used to maintaining our spot as the center of attention and are very willing to fight it out (in a variety of desperate measures) with another loud chip eating, secret-spilling pal if needed. It's funny that some people find this rather annoying.
6. We are often told to "tone it down a little."
Do not even consider telling an introverted person to speak up or loosen up a little because then you're attacking their personality and making them uncomfortable. BUT it is perfectly OK for them to muster up enough social skills to tell us to "tone it down." When did it become OK to take direct shots at my personality?
7. Everything we say is loud and clear, and that means EVERYTHING.
I mean, everyone says something stupid or unintelligent every now and then right? Most people just say it at a normal volume, maybe even under their breath. Not us. Every single one of our "blonde" moments is broadcasted into the ears of our friends, coworkers, professors, parents or anyone in a 500-foot radius really.
8. We walk the line between obnoxious and outgoing daily (unintentionally, though).
OK, I guess it is somewhat obnoxious to prance around your house singing every Taylor Swift song I can think of at the top of my lungs, but I was just trying to have some fun.
9. We sometimes forget other people have lives too.
We have no problem talking our date's ear off about our every childhood memory we have, each dream we've ever dreamed and the synopsis of why our favorite food is pizza instead of cheeseburgers. But, we sometimes forget that they may actually enjoy speaking as well.
10. All of our emotions are intensified.
It's like being on your period 24/7. Are we sad? More like we're experiencing a real-life mid-life crisis every other week. Could we be angry? You better watch your back cause here comes the crazy. If we're excited you might as well invest in a pair of noise-canceling headphones because you probably will not stop hearing about it. Did we get our heart broken? You don't even want to know what happens.
11. We have insecurities too, and a lot of them revolve around how loud we are.
Often extroverts and "loud" people carry the stereotype of being extremely confident. While this may be true, there is nothing that hurts us more than telling us that we're too loud when we're just passionate or excited about something. While we may be confident enough to speak in front of a crowd or entertain a first date, nothing breaks us down like these backhanded comments.
Extroverts have feelings too. We still hear everything you say, no matter how quiet you think you're being.
