"I have learned that the friends who hold your hand through the tough times and watch your soul twirl during the best, are the ones you should spend your life time dancing with."
—Stacie Martin
Since many of us introverts tend to be more quiet and reserved, making friends isn't something that happens overnight. Unless it's with dogs. Or cats. Or small and potentially damaged inanimate objects that tug at our heartstrings and make us want to protect them. Anyway, you get the picture.
But even though making new friends isn't something all of us do very easily, it is definitely worth the effort. You may be an introvert, but you're still human, and as much of a downer as it may be, most humans need to see other humans once in a while in order to be happy.
If you're like me, connecting with another person face to face takes a lot of time and patience and no small amount of luck. I've always found it hard to open up and small talk is definitely not my strong suit, so sometimes it seems easiest to try making friends with the extroverts, who are often more adept at carrying conversation.
But the thing is that one sided chatter can only get you so far, and there's only so much even extroverts (bless their souls) can do. Sooner or later you have to put yourself out there a little, and that can be difficult, especially if social anxiety is in the picture.
So now you have two options: open up to the extrovert and hope that your struggles go unnoticed, or try and have a chat with a fellow introvert.
Either is a worthy endeavour, and even if it goes wrong, at least you tried. But I'm going to let you in on a little secret, just in case you haven't heard it before.
Introverts make excellent friends.
Now, everyone has a certain sort of person that they connect with, but from personal experience, introverts are hidden gems of friendship and caring just waiting to be discovered. And yes, that absolutely includes you.
It will take time to get to know them, and of course they'll take time to get to know you as well, but if you put the effort in you may just find yourself with a new best friend. Odds are they'll have some of the same doubts and fears and insecurities as you, and is there anything more endearing than relatability? I think not.
Try and give someone the same chance that you wish someone else would give to you. Send the first text. Start the conversation. It won't be easy, but they may just end up loving you for it.
Give your fellow introverts a shot. There's so much more to them than most people see, just waiting for someone to find it. Why not let that someone be you?
Do you find you connect better with introverts or extroverts?
