I'm a failure...

...as an introvert, that is; at least in the way the term is popularly understood. I spend more time looking to socialize with my friends online or on the phone or in person than I do studying, doing homework, etc. I have been labeled an "attention whore" and I could argue that I won't do "anything" to get attention, but I admit that I do love to be in contact with people, so if that makes me an "attention whore", I guess I gotta let that flag fly. I've always loved talking with and listening to people more than reading, watching TV or movies, physical activities...although I will use any of them to help facilitate social contact.

Introvert does NOT mean "antisocial", by the way. It means someone who needs to process everything internally before they can respond to the exterior world, someone who has a very rich inner life, someone who lives a bit too much in their head. None of those things precludes craving human interaction. In the case of most introverts, though, it does mean feeling more comfortable in one-on-one interactions, or at least with those with whom one has already established familiarity. Sometimes when I'm in a particularly upbeat mood, I can easily socialize with certain friendly strangers. Mostly, I am more reserved until I get to know someone.

We are a social species, after all. There are loners, like Ted Kacyznski, etc. But they are not the norm, they are aberrations. They're what we call "sociopaths." I'm not that. I care about people, I empathize even. And I crave the contact. No shame in that. It's what we were built to do.