Are You An Introvert Or Are You Actually Anti-Social?

Just to be clear: none of those two are actually the same. You aren’t necessarily anti-social if you’re an introvert. The same could be said for vice versa. There are a lot of reasons why these two couldn’t be more farther apart and one of them is the fact that introverted people can ACTUALLY socialise really well while anti-social ones aren’t capable.

Why?

Here’s why.

Being an introvert is a personality trait while being anti-social is a clinical condition

An introvert is someone who prefers to be alone. It’s a preference. Meanwhile anti-social people are, compared to introverts that is, are basically psychopaths since it’s a clinical condition, according to Dr. Kozak himself. Introverts can socialise if they have to and when they want to, they just don’t want to most of the time because they would prefer to be left on their own. That doesn’t mean they can interact with people though.

Anti-social people can’t relate to others healthily while introverts can be social and CAN build relationships

People who are anti-social are generally those who dislike the society or can’t relate to other people. Introverts don’t necessarily hate other people and they don’t mind them. While they would prefer just being alone, they can also be friendly interactive with friends and other people if they have to. Sometimes they even enjoy it. Anti-social people have a hard time understanding other people’s emotions though. The anti-social personality disorder usually surfaces in teenage years and continues to adulthood. Like any personality disorder, anti-social people often have other mental health issues such as depression, and is more common among men. Anyone with a personality disorder should be encouraged to seek professional help. There’s a residential treatment for depression in Thailand as well as for other mental issues. It’s important to check with the mental health provider near you.

Anti-social people can actually be extroverted and outgoing

There are some anti-social people that happen to be serial killers. Based on a later season of The Walking Dead, you can’t really trust people who are so very well-liked by people. If this person seems too perfect and not one person hates him or her, then there is a possibility that person is a psychopath. This person may be very friendly and helpful, may donate to a lot of cause while keeping a wonderful smile on their face, but they could also be the first one to stab you and your children if they felt like it. This is because they can’t feel empathy and like to manipulate people. Sure, it can range from person to person but the fact remains: that person is anti-social due to the fact that they can’t feel empathy.

Introverts enjoy deep connections with those they deem close

You can say that introverts are merely picky. It’s not that they can’t relate to you or your feelings. They just don’t want to be friends with EVERYONE on the planet. So they choose a couple of people to be in their circle. After all, it’s exhausting to exert emotional energy with every person you meet on the streets.

You cannot “fix” or teach an introvert

That’s just downright rude to do so. It’s like you are trying to fix a person for choosing to love someone you don’t necessarily think they should end up with. Being an introvert isn’t a bad thing. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be alone for a lot of time rather than be out there and proactively making conversation with just about anyone. That’s exhausting. Being selective is a wonderful thing to be in this world where there are horrible people who take advantage of you. In fact, you can even say that introverts are smarter for being who they are.