Introvert/Extrovert

[Ecz]

INFJ here, makes me feel better to hear that other people are also introverted. I was of the thinking that that was a major area of deficiency in my personality but perhaps its not.

Sometimes, like once a year I'd say - I'll have an experience where I fill the shoes of a extravert at a social gathering and get comments from my girlfriend afterward like, "Where did that come from? Every time I turned around you were laughing/talking with someone different." I think it's correlated to finding a sweet spot in alcohol consumption lol. Enough to throttle back inhibitions while not getting sloppy. This is a challenge as I don't drink often, but possible if I'm careful. Teaching guitar for 5 years has been beneficial in this respect as well, teaching me techniques to deflect "awkward" moments.

The usual outcome at social gatherings however is a feeling of being "left out" even though it's my own fault for not plugging myself into conversation. Or worse - I'll chime in somewhere and notice everyone glaze over as I speak. This leads to massive insecurity and me shutting down for the rest of the night.