Kijk nu, ik bén helemaal niet introvert:

Being introverted simply means you don’t get ‘a buzz’ from partying/socialising, etc, and so you don’t do it often. It has nothing to do with feeling anxious or uncomfortable; you simply don’t find it emotionally/mentally rewarding. You tend to spend more time in quiet atmospheres, thinking about things. Ongoing research suggests that it has a strong biological link.

Shyness, on the other hand, is when those things actually make you feel awkward and nervous, and you struggle to integrate with new people or new environments. While it also has a number of potential biological links, it is more commonly assumed to be a result of a ‘sheltered’ or ‘disruptive’ or even ‘fearful’ childhood, where kids are not encouraged to interact with others positively, and don’t learn the relevant social cues.

Ik zou namelijk wel willen uitgaan en mensen spreken en zo, maar ik krijg paniekaanvallen en alles van nieuwe mensen (moeten) leren kennen, en van sociale interactie met mensen die ik niet (goed genoeg) ken. 

Mensen delen hun eigen ervaringen alhier.