"Are you okay? You look kind of sad," a random boy at a bar said to me. I was alone, waiting for one of my favorite bands to play at a local bar, drinking water and leaning on a table by the wall. "Yeah, I'm fine." I smiled, hoping he would return to his friends. He didn't. "You just look so lonely; I just wanted to make sure you were okay." I sighed and insisted I was okay. Still, he was convinced that I was upset or something, and I had to walk away for him to get the hint that I was fine being by myself.

This wasn't the first time someone felt that I needed their special attention so I wouldn't be "lonely" anymore. All through middle and high school, I sat by myself sometimes so that I could work on my homework before I got home. Multiple people approached me thinking that it was sad that I sat alone, and they would come up and talk to me. What they saw as a friendly gesture came of odd and irritating to me; it made me feel like they were only talking to me to make themselves feel better like they were socializing me.

I am naturally introverted and enjoy spending time by myself. I never understood why some people felt like they always needed to be seen with others (I remember one time when one girl asked me to walk her to her other friends only to shoo me away when we arrived). Personally, constantly spending time with people can be exhausting.

I realize that extroverted people are energized by constant human interaction, but for the more introverted people, it drains their energy. While it seems like a nice gesture to talk to strangers sitting alone, it might not make them feel like how the extrovert intended. It might do quite the opposite.

Whether you relate to the introvert or the extrovert, a helpful tip is to be mindful that not everyone hates being alone. It's all relative to the person. So next time you see someone alone, and they look like they are having a completely normal time, continue on your day. Not everyone needs to rely on the company of others.