Introvert Realization

Science has not been consulted, but my highly unreliable personal theory is that most hikers are some form of introvert.

After all, we choose to spend our free time walking through forests, mountains, and open spaces instead of attending crowded social events.

A recent conversation with a hiking buddy generously confirmed what I had already suspected.

So, for those who can relate, welcome - you're among friends.

We are not "intolerant," "antisocial," "rude," or "socially awkward."

Well - fine. We are all of those things - just not for the reasons we thought.

Nothing Is Broken

For most of my life, I treated my personality like a faulty appliance - something to troubleshoot, tweak, and quietly apologize for when it didn’t perform like everyone else’s.

Turns out, nothing’s broken - I’m just an introvert, and apparently, that changes everything.

I genuinely believed I was under-performing at being a person.

Too quiet.

Too intolerant

Too easily drained.

Too allergic to conversations about someone’s cousin’s neighbour’s daughter’s mildly interesting life update.

I thought those were flaws.

Now I’m starting to suspect they might just be… settings.

Self-Awareness

I’ve always been painfully self-aware - the kind where you can analyze your own behavior in real time while simultaneously hating yourself for it and still be completely unable to stop it - it's a gift, truly.

To the casual observer (friends, family, randoms at braais), introverts come across rude, grumpy and socially awkward.

And honestly? I can’t even argue with that.

If you don’t understand what’s going on internally, it does look like we just don’t like people - which, to be fair, is mostly also true.

The Algorithm Knows Me Better Than People Do

At some point, my social media feeds started serving me introvert content like it had been quietly judging me for years.

Pages dedicated to introverts just… appeared.

And suddenly, I felt seen - which is both comforting and slightly unsettling when it’s coming from an algorithm.

I always thought I was just shy - which didn’t make sense, because put me in a big group and I disappear, but put me with a few trusted humans and I never stop talking

So when the hiking pal recently mentioned she felt the same way - shy, but chatty in the right setting - just like that - after nearly 60 years - the penny dropped.

I’m not confusing - I’m an introvert.

Stop Expecting People to Get It

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: if someone isn’t an introvert (or hasn’t taken the time to understand one), they’re not going to “get it.”

And that’s fine.

What’s not fine is spending years disliking yourself because you don’t match the loud, high-energy, socially tireless majority.

If you’re like me - quiet in crowds, alive in small circles, deeply reflective, occasionally mistaken for unfriendly - stop treating yourself like you’re broken.

You’re not.

You’re just wired differently from those exhausting, overly enthusiastic “normal” people.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go be alone for a bit - not because I’m rude - because I finally understand myself.