Over the years, much has been said about extroversion and introversion. These are often viewed as two distinctive barometers to judge someone’s personality.

Everyone is, more or less, aware of the behavioral patterns associated with these two kinds of personalities. So, there is not much theoretical to say about these types. But people who have either extrovert or introvert friends face different kinds of problems or sometimes they get into some difficult situations because of them.

Well, as far as introverts are concerned they may be a little annoying sometimes. Of course, it should be noted that this is strictly a subjective observation. The message I have tried to get across here is there is nothing wrong with introversion, but there are also many more things which are not just right about it. You (introverts) may prove to be an element of disgust if your level of introversion goes beyond the limit.

Introverts often dismiss the real world and create a world of their own. Such a world where no one is allowed to step in, only he/she lives in that world, a completely isolated place with no one to intervene. And it is often found that they cannot just move out of that world and mix with people living outside that made-up world. For instance- I had a friend in the university level who never participated in any group study even if it was necessary for him. Even my teachers and other friends failed to convince him to partake in any discussion.

Another problem is that introverts are so self-oriented. Consequently they cannot keep good friends. They usually do not make good friends and even they sometimes fail to maintain a good friendship. A very important condition in friendship is that you will have to pay attention to your friends. But in case of introverts, they do not feel so much interested in the activities related to their friends rather they like to keep themselves away from all these. As a result, friends, sometimes very good friends, go far away from them. Still it does not make any difference to many of the introverts.

Meanwhile, as introverts feel wholly concerned with and interested in their own life, they act so indifferent to others. They like to stay isolated and alone. This specific trait of their personality sometimes proves to be very detrimental to them. As introverts grow susceptibility to isolation, they find themselves feeling a little cut off from others.Consequently when they fall in trouble, they cannot simply share it with others, not even with his friends or relatives despite the fact that good friends always stay there to help them out.

Moreover it is often very tough to read their minds. Consequently the people who stay in touch with them may face difficulties in understanding them. And because of this new people often misunderstand them, sometimes even friends may misread their words. In plain words, introverts create a perplexing situation by not letting themselves out. For instance- I have a friend who is an introvert. She sometimes comes to my place, just to gossip and pass quality time. Well, whenever she stays at our place, we feel really mystified about her food habit. She eats very little and does not complain. If we ask whether she is having problem with the menu or not, she never suggests anything. Rather she just nods her head and says politely “it’s okay”. It means she digests whatever we offer her just to avoid sharing her food preferences or likings with us. So, don’t you think that it’s exasperating to see someone feeling so uncomfortable in front of you?

Apart from all these, introverts do not also participate in group activities spontaneously. For instance- you will never observe their presence in a get-together arranged after so many years. They will try their level best to skip the get-together just to avoid answering your questions. They also do not like to go out on a hangout with friends, share their ideas publicly and so on.

With all these said, I don’t know whether I have been able to get my point across. To be frank, I am also an introvert but I do value my friends and share my woes with them. I don’t keep myself locked always. Likewise all introverts should learn how to open up in times of necessity.

However if you have an introvert friend, then you should know some ways to deal with them. First of all, give them some space. It’s a wrong idea to expect an introvert to engage in a conversation always.

Rather you should make the discussion interesting so that your introvert friend or partner feels like putting forth his/her opinion to make the discussion more fruitful. Secondly, don’t force them. Let them have their time and unfold themselves. Thirdly, communicate through social networking sites with introverts. An introvert often feels shy to open up in face-to-face conversation. But if you ask them some questions in an artificial environment (like the one created in virtual world through facebook), they will definitely respond positively.

Finally, if you are in a relationship with an introvert, then you must remember that you will have to make some compromises. And most importantly you should have some level of patience so that you can create the opportunity to explore more about your introvert friend or partner.