I’m tired of being an introvert
I’ve been misunderstood a lot
Being an introvert isn't something I'm comfortable with now, especially in the society I grew up in. There have been many accusations against me, and I've been misunderstood a lot. At first, I didn’t care. Introversion is my safety net.
Why am I tired of this? My interactions with others are poor. If I were to rate them out of 10, I'd give them a 2. I have friends, but I don’t call them friends, just colleagues. Is that wrong? I think it might be, but I just don’t want to get hurt. I have a weakness—trust comes easily to me. And that trust has brought heartache. So I’d rather be alone than have friends. Being alone is my safety gear.
I create my fun. My mind is my playground, filled with characters from the fictional worlds I’ve created. I have the best time living in these worlds. When I’m not there, I’m immersed in the words of a book, whether it’s a hard copy or on my phone. I prefer the feel and scent of paper, though.
But now, my introversion has started to affect my social life. I realize I need to interact more with people to improve my social skills.
My sister recently stayed with a friend I met during our service year. She’s a good person, but I’m not great at keeping friends. I sent her a WhatsApp message thanking her for accommodating my sister. It never crossed my mind to call her; I didn’t think anything was wrong with that—until she complained to my sister. That’s when I realized there’s a lot I’m lacking.
I’ve been called many things—“proud,” “boring,” “foolish.” It never bothered me before, but being called mannerless will surely strike a chord.
I think people need to understand that we all have different traits. Instead of judging, they should seek to understand. Educating yourself about introversion can help you recognize that introverts aren’t strange—they’re just misunderstood. We can’t all be the same. The world would be a boring place if we were.
Adedunmola 😍