Oh God, there's people everywhere.

By now, a majority of people know what being an extrovert or introvert means and where they land on the scale. For those who might not, an introvert tends to be more shy and have an inward personality while extroverts tend to be more social and express their personality outward. It's not always clear cut where you land on the scale, as it is perfectly normal to be somewhere in between.

However, I am an introvert (for the most part) and if you're anything like me, this will really resonate with you.

1. You generally hate people.

Okay, you might not feel as strongly as Dwight from The Office, but you're probably pretty damn close. I'm not sure if this feeling comes from working in food services and dealing with really shitty customers on a daily basis, or if I was born with it. Either way, I hate people for their mere existence, and I can't help it.

*Disclaimer* There are people I can tolerate and ones that I love like my friends, family, and coworkers. But, chances are, if you're at the grocery store blocking the aisle with your cart, I really fucking hate you.

2. You would rather stay home.

Once again, I'm not as bad as Howie from Benchwarmers, but I can definitely relate to him on a spiritual level. I usually don't lock myself in a room and scream about the sun, but I do hide in bed for hours.

I try not to be a hermit, though. I enjoy going out for drinks with friends, going on road trips, and having movie nights at my friends' places. However, I'll make myself drive almost everywhere instead of riding with my partner or having someone pick me up. This is simply because I do not want to be stuck somewhere. It's not because I don't like whoever I'm with. When I am with my friends or family, I thoroughly have a great time, but I get tired quick. The socializing drains me to the point where I just want to go home and relax by myself. Sometimes an introvert just needs peace and quiet.

3. You hate small talk.

A couple weeks ago, I was at the local pet store buying food for my chameleon. There was an elderly couple behind me. The man asked me how I was doing and I gave a polite, expected response. I am hardly ever rude to strangers when they engage in conversation with me. I might hate the ever living shit out of people and their small talk, but I have enough manners to be polite and nice. So, although I am telling you, "I'm great. How are you?" - just know I am screaming on the inside because I probably don't want to talk to you.

Anyway - this man asks me, "Are you going to go home and put some chocolate on them and eat them?" He was referring to the bag of crickets I had in my hand. I stared at him. I wasn't sure how to respond. Everyone in line was staring at me, including the cashier. It's like they really thought I was buying these crickets to consume. If you do consume crickets, more power to ya! I'm good, though.

I told the couple I was buying them for my chameleon. They didn't understand which was partly because they were hard of hearing and partly because they didn't know what a chameleon was. The woman basically yelled, "WHAT?" *facepalm*

It took so much effort to explain something so pointless that I wanted to scream. I didn't want to scream at this elderly couple per say, just in general. I hate talking about things that when you go home, you won't even remember it's significance or what you responded. It's not that introverts don't want to talk - it's that we want to talk about something with meaning. We want to share ideas, dreams, conspiracies, opinions, etc. We want to share our feelings and knowledge and have a real conversation. If I am going to use the energy to actually be social, I want to have a meaningful conversation. I want to talk about something that could change the world, not about the weather and my diet.

4. You're "boring".

When I was growing up, even in high school, people assumed I was boring. My classmates avoided me because I was quiet, shy, and lacked a plastered smile on my face. This was okay with me for obvious reasons. However, I feel like I cheated them, or myself. I often think of all the friends I could have made if I had opened up more and shown them my true personality.

But, to be frank, fuck that. I am who I am and being shy, introverted, and cranky makes me comfortable. This could make me boring or at least appear boring, but I don't care. I think most of my lifelong friends could tell you that I am far from boring. I will drink too much with them and dance on tables, I will pull my pants down in front of everyone after making the bitch cup in beer pong, I will play truth or dare, I will do hilariously horrible (possibly illegal) things with them, I will embarrass myself in public, I will go on crazy adventures with them. But, I'll also watch Netflix in bed for twelve hours straight, sleep all day, and make plans with myself on a Saturday. My life isn't boring. My life is beautiful in a way that it is beautiful to me and that's what matters.

What makes others happy may not make the next person happy and not everyone has the same idea of fun or excitement. If you know someone who is introverted, just know there is more to them than that stigma of being a lonely, boring, human being. We are more than that and once you get to know an introvert, you will understand that.

5. "I thought you hated me."

If you're introverted, this might be a phrase you have heard a million times. When people meet you, this is what they tend to think. Luckily, as they get to know you they realize that maybe you don't hate them and that it's just how you are as a person. Usually, for me, this phrase is coupled with, "You always look mad."

It's just my face.

The idea of new people isn't exactly appealing to me and I don't want to participate small talk, but that doesn't mean I automatically hate you. Now, let me clear this up. I do hate people in general - but I mean I hate crowds and rude people, customers, and the ignorant. I don't hate you, personally, because I don't even know you yet.

Once I get to know someone, the feeling usually fades. I will smile and talk to them on a regular basis and enjoy being around them. In the meantime however, they usually think I hate them and it makes me feel like a terrible person, but I can't help it. Sorry. As an introvert, we often need time to warm up and get to know someone before we start to talk and relax around them.

6. You probably hate when people sit next to you.

Anyone who watched this hilarious video feels the pain of all the 'victims'.

This may just be a horrible personal quirk, but I really hope not. I cannot stand when people are in my space, especially when they sit next to me. Now I know there isn't unlimited chairs on the planet and I'm not going to scream at someone for sitting down next to me. I try to be a decent and understanding human being for God sake.

However, if there is an open room and you sit directly next to me, I am going to get really annoyed. I think most students will understand this from their first day of classes.

You walk into a classroom and there is only a couple of people already settled. They are scattered around and some are sitting together. You have ten minutes before the class starts so you have a good pick at which seat you want to claim for the rest of the semester. You pick the seat in the very back row and on the end so you have one less person to sit next to. Yes, I really go to that measure to avoid sitting next to people.

The next person to walk in comes and sits directly to your left. There are at least twenty other seats left scattered about the room. This pisses you off because then they start talking to you during class for the rest of the semester and try copying your assignments. I am sure the intentions of the student were pure as they probably just wanted a friend in the class to help them.

You find yourself not caring, though. Every time they talk while you're trying to take notes, you want to yell at them to stop talking. You don't want to share your homework answers. You don't even want to sit next to them and you feel horrible about it. You smile and nod for the sake of their feelings but can't stop staring at the clock waiting until you can be free.

I also got this same feeling while living in a dorm for a year and a half. In both dorm buildings I lived in, we were blessed with at least six stalls to use the bathroom and probably around five to shower. This was great until you needed to use the bathroom after some bad Chinese food and someone on your floor decides to come and use the stall directly next to you when there are plenty of others free. I got so frustrated when people did this because then you have to wait until they leave the bathroom or plan a staggered exit because you don't want to be washing your hands at the same time as them.

Or am I just really fucking crazy?

7. You might have bad social anxiety.

I'm not sure if every introverted person has social anxiety of if that is just a personal quality. When my fiance and I go to parties or family functions where I don't necessarily know everyone, I get nervous. I will find someone I know and I will latch onto them like a fucking lost puppy. Your arm will have my finger and nail marks from how hard I will hold onto you. In a perfect world, this person would be my fiance.

But, the world isn't perfect. My fiance is extremely extroverted. He is a social butterfly that loves going around the party and catching up with everyone and introducing himself to new people. This is a great quality that I admire about him but it also sucks for me.

It sucks because he won't sit in a corner with me and pet the dog while people communicate and I don't blame him. I'm not going to hold him back just because I get nauseated at the thought of having to awkwardly introduce myself to strangers. So, he will go off on his own to explore the party and talk. *pukes*

During the first couple years of our relationship, I was his lost puppy. After awhile, I began to wonder if others noticed that I would leave a room as soon as he would or I would constantly offer to get him a beer so I could get out of a conversation. I'm not usually one to care what people think, but I thought I had to look pathetic.

Eventually, being his lost puppy got tiring and embarrassing. It was hard to keep up with him. So, I would find a good place to sit where I could be around people I knew and just enjoy music or listen to their conversations. Although this was better than following him around, my fiance would get frustrated with me because I would just sit there quietly.

Fortunately, I am getting to an age or place in my life where I care significantly less. If I am at a party or gathering where I am uncomfortable or don't know anyone very well, I have an escape plan. I usually find the older adults I know or the people smoking and chat with them over a Marlboro.

My strong passion for not wanting to be around people remains, but as I get older, It gets easier to socialize. I have realized that I am able to have a conversation and enjoy myself and just leave the gathering whenever my social anxiety starts creeping in.

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Overall, there are a million different attributes of introverts and extroverts. It is easy to possess several from both sides of the spectrum. I would like to think I am extremely introverted in almost every aspect. However, as I get older I tend to realize that I am gaining more extrovert attributes. I think this is because as I mature, I am "coming out of my shell" or because I just give less of a shit. Regardless, I think this is an interesting concept and I want everyone to know that there is nothing wrong with being introverted, or extroverted.

As a society or even as just a friend, we need to better understand who people are and why they behave the way that they do.

So, can you guess where you or your friends land on the scale? If you identify with this article, you may lean towards being an introvert.

Take a quick quiz to find out!