On being an introvert

I have long thought of myself as an introvert, but in the last few years I've had so many people tell me otherwise that I wasn't sure. Then I recently had it explained that being an introvert has nothing to do with how well you like people (which is what I was told, if I don't like spending a good amount of time alone, then I must be an extrovert) but more with how much energy is gained by being around people. I am consistently exhausted by spending time with people, specifically if it is a large group. One or two I can usually handle ok, certainly far better for far longer than a larger group (large being anything more than 3 usually). Thus the conclusion that I am, indeed, an introvert.

Seeing myself this way also explains a few things about myself. I have also, for a long time, felt socially awkward, unable to do or say the right thing if I was in a larger group, thus resulting in my silence (and therefore my dislike of large gatherings). I even beat myself up for it a few times, wondering what was wrong with me? Why couldn't I just act like everybody else? When I talked with one other person I was fine. There were no issues about me saying the wrong thing, or anything like that. I figured maybe it was just a desire for attention, the need to say something so that others wouldn't forget about me, but that didn't really seem to fit either since I can quite happily sit in a corner with my nose in a book for hours on end with no desire to talk with anyone else at all.

The same person who explained to me that being an introvert does not mean you would prefer to be a hermit also explained that the issues I seem to have socially in large group settings are simply because I'm an introvert. It's natural for introverts to not relate well to lots of people because they aren't MADE to relate well to lots of people. Do you know how happy that made me feel? It means there isn't anything "wrong" with me. There is nothing for me to "fix," it's ok that I sometimes say something that seems to come from left field because introverts trying to become extroverts just creates a big mess anyway. It's also ok that I like to read, prefer reading to spending time socializing in a large group. It's just me, and there's nothing wrong with that :D