IT'S NOT WHAT YOU MIGHT THINK

I suppose that many people think that introverts are afraid of people, and also they probably believe that loners are shunning society.

Rather than those stereotypes, I propose that many introverts are simply happy and comfortable enjoying their own thoughts and interests, and I suggest that these tendencies begin early on. 

I think that because introverts spend less time socializing, they tend to miss out on learning both the subtle and overt ins and outs of interacting with people. Thus, when they do end up in social situations, they are unsure about what the expectations are, and end up as wall flowers.

In my view, more often than not, introverts have gotten a bad rap. In all likelihood introversion has evolved in a person because of an abundant self dialogue. I doubt that for many the first ingredients in becoming an introvert are fear or dislike.  

Because introverts enjoy such a rich inner life, it's easy to for them to slip into the category of loner. Often though, someone comes along and drags them into social living. Again, people who spend lots of time alone aren't necessarily harboring disdain for or wariness of others. They're more likely having a satisfying time with their own introspection and activities. 

So I am asking, please don't throw all of us solo people into one bag. We aren't necessarily the ones who end up on the news, with their neighbors saying "He kept to himself". We are much more likely to be just enjoying our contemplations and pastimes. We may indeed have very active discourses going on within our minds, but we're not all thinking of cutting off our ear!