You're judged left and right just for keeping to yourself. Since people can't get you to open up as often as they'd like, they take the liberty of filling the gaps on their own.
Some of them call you a snob, others say you're weird, and still others go so far as to label you antisocial.
Saying you're introspective and that you think before you speak isn't good enough for them.
Trying to explain that you're introverted -- that your energy is directed inward as opposed to an extrovert, whose energy is directed outward -- is a futile exercise.
You tell them that too much social interaction leaves you drained, and that you can only recharge by spending time alone, but it falls on deaf ears.
Sometimes it feels like no one understands you.
But I'm here to tell you one thing: I get you. I know what you're going through because I've been there.
As a quiet, studious kid, I felt ostracized for being different than my more gregarious peers.
Many classmates tried to coax me into being more like them. Though at times the social pressure became hard to bear, I never relented.
You know why? Because I liked myself and didn't want to change. I preferred being hated for who I was than loved for who I wasn't.
Even as an adult, I've never wavered on this. I'm much more talkative now than I was back then, but I'm still your typical introvert.
Big crowds continue to sap my energy, I still prefer one-to-one conversations to group interaction, and my predisposition to think before I speak remains unchanged.
I'm here to tell you this: You should never, ever feel pressured into becoming more talkative against your will -- just to please someone else.
Some people will never understand that you're just wired differently. Some people will never comprehend that you're content with your low-key, quiet demeanor.
If they can't help but criticize you for your unassuming nature, kick them to the curb. You don't need people like them in your life!
Embrace your introversion. Introverts are in the minority, so that makes you unique! Quiet people should be perceived as a breath of fresh air given the hordes of people in the world who can't keep their mouths shut.
If you're happy with the way you are, that's all that should matter -- you don't need others' approval. If your being quiet makes others insecure, then that's their problem.
Be true to yourself. Let the real you always shine through!
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