That is not weird at all. The next time you feel like expressing yourself in class give it a try.

Lots of folks feel that way. There are likely others around you, but easy to only notice the extroverts. How about looking for another introvert and slowly beginning a one on one exchange. It can begin with a look, or a simple request. Baby steps are best. Comforting hugs.

there are more introverts then extroverts, its just you notice extroverts more. to be extroverted you must be confident in who you are. to me i think being in the middle , to be able to say what needs to be said and quiet and observant when nothing is needed to be said .

It is less of an either/or proposition of being introverted/extroverted than a "when"/"when not" type of deal.

I HATE cocktail party and conference reception type events where everyone is supposed to "let their hair down." That is when I feel the least extroverted.

I own a small design firm and run lots of meetings and make lots of presentations. When I am in that mode, I know what I am talking about and I share my knowledge and enthusiasm very freely. I actually get a real charge out of being "on stage" like that.

So I say, don't feel like that is a choice you have to make ( or worse yet a decision that was predestined for your life) be both! You don't have to be the belle of the ball to have a thought worth sharing any more than you have to be silent because that is what people expect from you. You (and others) may just find that what you have to share is a lot more intelligent and thought provoking than you give yourself credit for.

And one more thing....being young is exceedingly hard. Your "supposed to" have things figured out at some point, but in reality we are all pretty much making it up as we go along. I am in my early 50's and I see that every day.

I understand what you mean by you want to say something but your mind won't let you. Hard for people to understand unless you are really "shy" or an introvert.
Since introversion runs in my family, I would venture a guess that most introverts are born with that kind of personality and like anything it varies as to how introverted one is.
For me it's not that I haven't tried, it is just painful. For many, anxiety plays a huge part in being introverted and not feeling overly confident in oneself.
So, how lucky it must be to be an extrovert and not have to wrestle with "should I, can I, speak up?".

Dear Soulinabag



Not weird at all, I think most of us introverts feel this way at one point or another. Do you also suffer from anxiety? Sometimes anxiety can make being more outgoing even harder for us introverts. I know did for me, in my younger years I would get so flustered by trying to even talk to a stranger. But with time and a lot of determination, along with a lot of prayer, I was eventually able to overcome all this. I am still very much an introvert, but many people wouldn’t know it by how well I’ve learned to handle myself around people. Try to put yourself out there a little maybe with a small group of friends, depending on your age group, sometimes a local church might have a group of people around your age who hangs out to do various activities, which might give you some opportunities, to not only be less lonely, but slowly become more comfortable in these situations, and especially to allow them how special you truly are inside. I am sure you have a lot to offer and I pray you are able to let your guard down and enjoy getting closer to people and making some awesome friendships, by letting them see how awesome you truly are!

I am an introvert too. I have become quite comfortable being alone. I worry about what others think like I am weird for being this way or say to myself I should try to make friends etc. I know that support of other people is important. And making friends with the right people can be enjoyable. You will come out of your shell when the right person or persons come around.

I'm very introverted also. Along with the down side we have a lot of strengths that extroverts don't have. What are some of yours? I know it gets really lonely and it's hard in a world where most people are extroverted but there are some introverts out there, too. hugs.