I tell myself "Fuck this. What's the worst that could happen?" And then I improvise (each time) because I forgot the rest (each time).


Tip:
If the conversation runs dry and she says that she's going to the bar to get a new drink, that means "You are nice but boring." :B

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]I'm not introverted because I'm shy. I can mix and mingle just fine when I feel like it, but I find it draining and tedious after a while.

I have other interests and better things to do on my own, and interacting too much with people who often just want something from me is more than I care to deal with.

Blanket assumptions about what it means to be an introvert are insulting.

Yes, people don't understand introverts. They often try to force them to get out and about.

I won't hug you, because you might not want that. But I will think good thoughts at you.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]I'm thick-skinned enough to not be personally insulted, but I found the OP's statements (below) generally insulting in their blanket assumptions.

I am not an extrovert, but I can fake it for extended periods when required. It turns out it's not difficult. And in fact you will get better at it than real extroverts. But you can't fake the need for all that attention, so don't make a habit of it.

I have problems approaching groups, because to me it always seems like they are busy with themselves and I don't want to disturb them. Single people, say because the rest of the group is temporarily somewhere else, are nooo problem.

The first step, that damn first step...

But, like with all introverts, there is a barrier. Sometimes I just don't feel like starting a conversation with random people for the sake of having a conversation with random people.

I'm both - shy and an introvert.

When I was a kid I was too shy to raise my hand in first grade because I needed to go to the bathroom. So I peed my pants. I've mostly overcome that sort of painful, extreme shyness as I grew older. Now, people don't believe me when I tell them I'm shy.

But all my life, being in social situations drains my energy after a short time. I have to go home and recharge. Alone. Too many people in one place, too much activity makes me feel hemmed-in and claustrophobic. I hate crowds. Extroverts are energized by crowds; introverts are drained by crowds.

That's the difference. Shy people are afraid to mingle, afraid to speak up. Introverted people can converse with others just fine, but it can be draining.

I'm also a little bit of both.

After all the complaints, I decided to edit my OP.

Yes, a friend once said this to me. She - an extrovert - couldn't understand that my shyness and my introversion were not choices I made out of some sort of convenience or something. It isn't something I choose.

Extroverts just don't get it.

I looked at him & said, "better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and confirm it." Surprisingly, he hasn't spoken to me since then.

Meh.