Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:People often confuse shy and introverted. There are social introverts. I am married to one.
I don't want to be with a guy who can't deal with himself at a party and who I have to babysit or is a stage 10 clinger or who just avoids normal social situations. Had one of these boyfriends in my 20s. It's easy to get caught up in the idea oh this person is shy and quiet but I am special and have broken through and he talks to me. Nope. It's exhausting.
This is all true.
And a shy introverted guy who is confident can handle himself just fine at a party. My husband is shy AND introverted. He is also a social chameleon. He's confident so socially he's fine on his own. On the flip side - he finds parties exhausting and needs time to recover - the definition of an introvert. The shy part rarely becomes a hindrance at parties because we know so many people. Once critical mass is reached its so easy to float around at parties and never leave your comfort zone. I only notice his shy behavior in crowds of people we don't know, like a Christmas market in Germany. He has a hard time fighting to the front of the queue or getting the vendor's attention.