Why do cool kids dislike nerds and introverted people?

silversaline
Thu, 26 Aug 2010 02:00:27 +0000

Well said, surfer. I made myself miserable for a few days this summer after spending some time with an old high school friend who was recounting her first year at college – she had something to do every night, was always out and about, didn’t do anything without her friends, etc. Listening to her talk I felt like such a loser, because while I’ve made some great friends and had some great experiences at school, I also spend a fair amount of time alone. It took me a few days of brooding to realize that I spend the amount of time by myself that I do because I LIKE spending time by myself. I’m perfectly happy with the way my life is, and if I didn’t have at least an hour or two by myself every day to unwind, I would be totally miserable. Like someone said upthread, all being an introvert means is that you need “me time” to recharge. As long as you’re not a total hermit, and are legitimately happy and fulfilled by the amount of social interaction that you get, there is no “wrong” level. Everyone has different needs.

That said, yeah, some extroverted people (not necessarily “cool kids,” I’ve known a lot of extroverted dorky types) tend to have a really hard time understanding that introverted people legitimately like spending time alone, and can be jerks about it. To which I say, whatever. Some extroverts think people like me are boring and reclusive; I think some extroverts are obnoxious and needy. It goes both ways. Just do what makes you happy and don’t worry about what other people think of how social you are. As long as you’re happy, be happy with that.