Americans are very introverted but we're also pretty polite and nice so some people might confuse this with being outgoing but that's just a stereotype and also sometimes I feel like when people think of 你得大大方方的 they'd force themselves to be outgoing but I really don't think this is necessary. I think just being polite and nice and caring and treating others with respect is really all you need and you also won't get exhausted from trying to be something that you're not. But being introverted doesn't mean that I can't socialize or make friends and humans are very multifaceted. I know a lot of people have classified themselves as introverts so they feel like that means they have to live in the way the public views introverts. I think in the past

I was also confused by myself because I would normally be really shy and quiet in most situations but if I was around my close friends then I could be super loud and I love to make other people laugh. And being an introvert doesn't mean I don't like people or I'm anti-social or something like that. That's really not the case at all. I just get my energy from spending time alone so in my alone time I feel more recharged and being around people can feel really draining. Spending time with others for a shorter period of time is great but for longer periods of time I do start to feel a bit exhausted. As a result of this I do spend a lot of time alone. But being alone doesn't have to mean being lonely. I really enjoy my time alone. I don't feel any pressure to socialize and I don't feel like I have to force myself to be a certain way, be more outgoing so more people will like me.

I think society paints being alone or spending time alone as a kind of weird thing and as a result of this some people feel weird or awkward going out to eat or going to the movies alone.

But this can actually hold us back from really enjoying our lives. We don't need to wait for other people to have free time to go and do something that we want to do. If I want to try something new or go somewhere I don't need to rely on other people. I can just go myself. For me being alone means being able to enjoy my life on my terms. It's helped me gain more independence and also feel more confident. I used to be really anxious going out and doing things alone. I felt scared that other people were watching me and judging me for being alone. But honestly nobody cares what you're doing. Every time I say I enjoy spending time alone there will always be someone arguing with me and saying you have a boyfriend. But having a partner is way different from having friends and it wouldn't be a healthy relationship if I relied on my boyfriend for all of my happiness.

I still spend most of my time alone because that's what I like. This is my choice. And my boyfriend and I also have very different hobbies. So we do things together but I also don't want to drag him around and do things that he has no interest in. So sometimes if I want to go watch a movie, if I want to go do something, I can just do it myself and I don't need to feel like I have to wait for him or I have to force him to go and do something with me. And when I say I don't have many friends a lot of people will say

Some people have a habit of judging a girl's value by how much attention and approval she gets from other boys and even attach their own value to what their friends think of them. Not having many friends does not mean not having a single friend at all. It's just that I don't like to take the initiative to make friends and at the same time I also feel like my self-worth comes from myself and not from other people. I'm also just the kind of person who really needs alone time. I think the key point for really enjoying being alone and spending time alone is actually liking yourself.

So I feel fine being alone. I enjoy spending my time alone because I like who I am and I like being able to be creative and work on my hobbies without feeling like other people next to me are judging me or watching me. One of my hobbies is that I love making videos. Some people might be thinking, if you were a true introvert you wouldn't be able to make these videos, but that's totally not true. Being an introvert doesn't mean I can't make videos. And it also took me a really long time. It took me years to feel comfortable in front of the camera like this.

This is still something that I'm doing totally alone and this creative process is also really important for me. If there was someone in the room with me right now that would be a totally different story. I would feel really awkward and embarrassed and I wouldn't be able to say a single word. So just because you're an introvert, it doesn't mean you have to confine yourself to this box. And if you have dreams of doing something, you should just go do it and don't let this hold you back. I don't think being an introvert is a bad thing. It's just who you are. And there are plenty of good things about being an introvert that nobody talks about. And at the end of the day, life is about creating your own happiness and finding things that bring you joy. When you stop caring about what other people think and you're able to fully enjoy being alone with yourself, you'll start to become more independent and truly happy with who you are.