28/10/2025
My Facebook name used to be “Extrovert Andrew.”
Not because I knew who I really was
But because I thought introverts lacked confidence and weren’t bright.
So I tried… so hard…
to talk,
to speak
to be active in front of people
to be an extrovert.
I still remember one moment clearly.
It was at a big gathering.
Everyone was laughing, talking, dancing, and I was standing there, smiling, pretending to have fun.
But deep inside, I was exhausted.
I wanted to cry.
I wanted to run.
I felt suffocated -
like there was no more oxygen in the room.
That night, when I got home, I just sat in silence.
I asked myself:
“Don’t I have confidence?”
“Don’t I know anything?”
“Am I stupid?”
Maybe I don’t have all the answers.
But one thing I’ve realized is this:
I listen . . . attentively and empathetically.
I ask questions when they matter.
I join conversations when I feel needed.
I take action when I believe.
Now, I’ve learned that being quiet doesn’t mean weak,
Listening doesn’t mean invisible,
Nor is speaking all the time necessary.
The gathering changed how I see myself.
After all,
I’m an introvert -
That’s who I really am, and I accept it.
