How I see 'introverts'

Very recently, I discovered that I don't belong to the majoritarian block of the society i.e. EXTROVERTS. Throughout my school life,I had been a very bright student, as was evident from my astounding academic performances, so teachers themselves would turn up to me whenever they sought an apt answer to a tricky question,ostensibly forcing me to stand up and present my answer that the whole class would later appreciate with a satisfying look on their faces, giving me a sense of self-worth.

But it wasn't the same anymore, since I stepped in college. Everytime an opportunity was thrown at me in the form of a question, I just couldn't muster my courage to stand up in the crowd of violently assertive voices vying to be in the spotlight. I could see myself forcing the chaos in my head to die. It was painful to see my voice remained unheard,my ideas unapplauded.

I started wondering when I lost that identity of mine that was never so unfamiliar. I desperately ventured to find the older me and pushing myself to things that I would never otherwise do.But it took me not long enough to realize that I was ever the same. Had there been no nudging by the teachers in the school,I wouldn't have stood up. Had it been I wasn't among the very few repeatedly acclaimed students, nobody would have come to me and initiated conversations, and I would have been left with no friends back then too.

I calculated that my personality was naturally repulsive to attention.The reason that I wasn't standing up in the college classroom wasn't that I have become any less creative,but simply because I valued my time.I didn't want to invest my time on a mass of people waiting to listen to and then ignore my voice in a cacophony.The reason I didn't have a crowd-size group of mine gossiping in the canteen during brakes is that I enjoy my own company which maybe, is difficult for people other than me. Those pub-parties weren't alluring for me maybe because these tiny books were waiting to take me to a whole different part of the world,or maybe a whole different era.When everybody around me is asking for a better-half,I'm happy to be a perfect whole.I'm a proud INTRO.

What I hate is when people confuse my situation with shyness. Shyness and introversion are two very different states of human mind. While shyness speaks for a fear of being socially judged and disapproved,introversion can be defined as a preference for quieter pursuits. Everytime my heart aches when a non-social kid is labelled as stupid and socially-skilled kids are valued more. They are even preached by their parents not to ''act dumb'',while they may be enjoying observing everyone in a birthday party,sitting in the corner. Gregariousness can't be tantamount to smartness, world needs to realize that.