Introverted And Anxious People Reveal That These 30 Situations Are A Nightmare For Them

It seems that the definitions of introversion and social anxiety are different, but as many people in the thread pointed out, the terms get mixed up and socially anxious people might think that their fears are just part of being an introvert.

Bored Panda reached out to Distinguished Professor at University of California Riverside Sonja Lyubomirsky, who teaches at the Department of Psychology, to find out what causes the misconception.

She explained to us, “My guess is that it’s because socially anxious people often say little in social interactions and appear uncomfortable (like they prefer to be alone). Introverts actually DO enjoy alone time, but not because they are afraid of social interactions. Just a lot of socializing exhausts them.”

Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert depends both on your genetics and your effort. Sonja Lyubomirsky has read studies that said “that the heritability of this trait is 40 to 50%. However, just like with anything that’s heritable (most human traits), this doesn’t mean that we can’t change it with deliberate effort.”

The professor gave herself as an example: “I myself was 'born' an incredibly shy person (a trait related to introversion) but with a great deal of effort and willpower, I have transformed myself into a huge extrovert. But it takes work.”

You may think that trying to analyze your personality traits is useless, but you may benefit from knowing whether you're an introvert or extrovert. Sonja Lyubomirsky believes in what Francis Bacon once said, which is “knowledge is power,” because “It helps you understand that your reactions (e.g., need to rest after a party or take breaks) are normal and healthy.”

It is important to know because her observation is that “In the U.S., extroversion is relatively highly valued (e.g., in leaders, in job interviews, in speaking up in teams, on dates).” So she thinks that it is easier for extroverts to live in the current society in the US, but introverts shouldn’t think that something is wrong with them and their reactions, rather that it’s just how their brain and body works.

Do you feel that any of these situations are unbearable to you? Do you think you are actually introverted or have you been confusing it with social anxiety? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and if there are any “nightmares” that weren’t mentioned in the list, tell us about them as well!