Introverts Comfy At Home Have More Fun Than Extroverts Out Partying
It may be an unpopular opinion, but that’s only because there are more extroverts than introverts. Don’t you worry about us. We’re just fine all by our not-lonesome selves.
Hear me out. I’ve been an introvert since before I knew the word itself. I always enjoyed my own company, and while I like spending time with friends and family, it takes more energy from me than it gives—hence the self-designation.
I’ve always hated how it was presumed that introverts who spend a lot of time at home are some miserable crybabies who so desperately want to be out mingling but, for some reason, can’t do it. While I can only speak for myself, that can’t be further from the truth.
I love my alone time, and to this day, some of my best memories revolve around enjoying “me time,” either reading a good book, kicking ass in a video game, surfing an epic meditation high, driving the perfect road, or watching an awesome movie that completely transported me into another universe.
I mean, sure. Drinks are fun, and yapping about our lives is nice, I suppose, but have you tried completely falling into a fantastic story so out of this world that you forgot you’re still in this universe and not in that magical place having the adventure of your life? I’m sorry, but there is no comparison.
Extrovert: “I hang out with my friends, and I drank ten bears, danced all night, then I passed out, vomited all over myself, and then spent the next few days barely surviving as if hit by a truck.”
Introvert: “Cool, cool. I drank some water and watched a movie about dragons, aliens, robots, the future, and everything in between. I got completely absorbed by the masterful storytelling and mind-blowing visuals. I was transported into another world for those few precious hours, and time stood still. I imagined being with the heroes, exploring new lands, and fighting epic battles. After that, I went to bed and woke up good as new.”
The fact is we’re all different. When I need to gather my thoughts, I seek alone time. When I’m in a bad mood, I often replay an old movie I know will completely take me away from reality, and I’ll instantly feel much better. Some use drugs and alcohol. I would argue that my version is healthier, but I would then have to admit defeat toward the sports addicts, who exercise to get away from their minds.
“I feel like shit, so I’m gonna go torture myself by running ten miles in the cold. That’ll do the trick!” Damn, those beautiful bastards! It’s about as unfair (joke) as experiencing salats as comfort food.
There are no words to describe how I feel when I watch a great movie. For some reason, fictional books are more immersive but less repeatable for me. If I have to choose a night out with my friends versus a movie night at home, it is rarely a difficult decision. There is a place for both, but I can only stomach one of them every night of the week.
Fun fact: Once upon a time, in my virgin years, no less, I chose to go to the cinema to watch The Matrix and had forced the issue mid-foreplay with a lovely, more mature girl in my bed. She could have taught me the ways of love, but instead, I showed her we might be living in a simulation. She didn’t get it.
Needless to say, that was the last date with that particular lady. Apparently, choosing a movie over a pussy is somehow a bad thing. Women, right? Who would understand them? I have no regrets. The Matrix was incredible, and she found her future husband that very night, or so she told me years later! It was written in the stars, I tell you.
I won’t even mention all the times I exchanged coitus for video games, less you all think me nuts. Alas, it is true, and while I feel like an idiot on that front retrospectively, it is what it is. Switching from murdering thousands of simulated foes to making love with a real human being takes time. The online games can’t be paused, don’t you know? My teams of anonymous non-friends needed me, not unlike the horny she-devil who was trying to lure me from my made-up duty into the land of moist pleasure and sin.
My point is that all you happy, outgoing people don’t have to feel sorry for us for not participating in your particular form of madness. Even if the culprit is social anxiety, as it is for many in my ranks, going out is still a painful experience we would prefer to avoid. We’re not missing out on anything.
There is one exception to this rule, and that is for lonely single introverts. I would wager that extroverts suffer more from loneliness than introverts, being so dependent on other people. Since we’re so bad at socializing and exposing ourselves to new people, we can often binge-watch ourselves into a dark, lonely corner, though. Maintaining relationships is hard, but making new friends is a whole new level of complicated.
That is the time to help your introverted friend by introducing them to your social group and adopting them like shy little pets in need of rescuing. We do need it occasionally, but not most of the time.
While I’ve admittedly suffered some harsh, lonely, dark nights alone with my thoughts, all my most excruciating experiences happened when I was surrounded by people - people I didn’t know and was expected to mingle with. Yeah, no can do, I’m afraid.
Telling me to mingle, infringe on people’s privacy, and dispense small talk to melt the ice is something only my arch nemesis would task me with if I had one. Proper sadistic torture! There’s no coming back from that one if you leave me among those boring vultures. You’ll know the meaning of being unfriended in real life post haste!
I’m sure you all know that some people give you energy, and others take it from you. Well, if you’re an introvert, those fabled givers of energy are a myth from fairytales.
Yes, some people don’t exhaust me, but after a few hours of socializing, no matter the company, I’ll need to recharge somewhere quiet and alone. I still love you, but like I love potato chips. In small doses and on special occasions. A little fun is great, but if I overindulge, I’m gonna be comatosed!
You know what’s fun? Going for drinks with an extrovert. You know what’s not fun? Going to the movies with them! Yes, dear ones. There is a time when it’s okay to remain quiet for hours at a time and focus on the screen, even if you are surrounded by other people. In fact, I insist. The horror, I know!
I bet you’re happy you read this article and now understand everything about your freaky little stay-at-home friends who keep avoiding the things you love so very much. No? Too bad, no refunds! At least you won’t feel sorry for them anymore. That’s something, isn’t it?