Embracing My Introverted Personality To Make Friends
An article that discusses how you can take advantage of your introverted personality to make quality friends
Introduction: My Personality Dilemma
Talking and making connections with people is something we aspire to do. We desire to make friends to boost our social status, whether it is at school or work.
As a high schooler, I know how important it is to connect socially with classmates and teachers. I want to build a close group of friends I can count on. I want to boost my social status in school.
At the start of my junior year in high school, I wanted to start the year right; I wanted to make as many friends as possible. And by doing so, I took a different approach.
I regarded my personality and forced myself to be an extrovert, even though I was an introvert.
Now, you may know the difference between an extrovert and an introvert, but I will clarify.
An extrovert tends to be an outspoken person who reasons things out by speaking rather than spending most of the time thinking. An introvert is more reserved, energizes in solitude, and open up to people to who they are close.
I have been an introvert my whole life, and suddenly, I decided to do a complete 180 on my personality.
When I embraced being an extrovert, I made more connections and seemed more outgoing to my peers, but at the same time, it felt forced.
I felt unnatural and awkward when I identified with a personality that was the complete opposite of my true one. The conversations did not feel natural.
Once I became aware of this issue I was facing, I did some research.
After reading a few articles and watching a few videos, it helped me realize that anyone with any personality can make quality friends.
Even introverts.
Embracing introvertedness
Now, it may seem like embracing your introverted personality could lead you to make fewer friends, which is true.
As an introvert, I can spend most of my time observing my peers rather than talking. I can observe how people act, the way they talk, what they talk about, and more. This allows me to see which people would be the most beneficial to hang around.
So, when I approach someone and spark a conversation, I know I am going to connect with a well-rounded person. Someone with goals, values, and plans for the future.
If I spend most of my time talking to almost everyone in my area, then I spend little to no time observing. Yes, I would have made more connections, but most likely not with high-quality people.
With this in mind, a few high-quality friends are way better than having friends with an entire class of people.
I am still spending most of my time observing my classmates, and I do not have a close group of friends yet, but I am working towards that.
Other benefits of being an introvert
Another benefit or advantage I have achieved by embracing my introvertedness is more attractiveness.
I appear more attractive in social settings when I stay to myself and not be the loudest in the room.
This is because when I speak, I make sure it is something meaningful, important, or even funny. I had people from school and work compliment me on how charismatic and chill I am, even in socially demanding situations.
Also, since I am self-contained, I instill a sense of mystery. When people do not know much about you, they become interested in finding who you are. I do not go around saying to my peers what I am going to do after school, what I do in the mornings, or what I do in my free time.
When you keep to yourself and not saying much, you attract more people because they want to know more about you.
Conclusion
If you are an introvert, you are at an advantage when making quality friends.
Use your personality to your advantage by spending time observing the people around you and speaking when you want to say something purposeful, significant, or funny.
If you have any thoughts or questions, please share them in the comments below!
