What Introverts Have Done to Avoid People
1. I pretended I didn’t speak English to avoid small talk.

I’m Filipina but I look like I’m from Korea or Japan. In order to save myself from a man’s attempt at small talk with me, I pretended not to understand his language (he spoke English and mistook me for a foreigner). I replied “no Engrish, no Engrish,” while shaking my head. Upon hearing that, he didn’t bother to continue.
–Dioselle
2. I hid behind my couch until the UPS guy left.
I knew I was an introvert when the UPS guy showed up to deliver a package and I literally ducked below the window so I could avoid the interaction and he’d just leave it at the door. The way I was acting, you’d think he was the SWAT team!
–Sharron

3. I called in sick to work on my birthday.
Once I called in sick to work on my birthday (even though I wasn’t sick) just to avoid coworkers saying “happy birthday” to me. It was enough to make my day much better.
–Ruben

4. I hid in my closet until my roommates left.
Once in college, I hid in my closet with the lights off waiting for my roommates to leave for the night. They tried to find me but I succeeded in evading them. Then I spent the rest of the evening journaling and listening to whatever music I wanted. It was amazing.
–Laura

5. I’ve blocked almost everyone on my phone.
My phone is set to not accept any calls or messages except for the eight contacts I’ve saved on my phone.
–Mehari

6. I got to campus four hours early every day to claim a quiet spot.
When I was an undergrad, I spent weeks methodically exploring each building on campus to locate areas with the least amount of foot traffic and a comfortable table and chair (preferably a single table and chair to avoid unwanted company). I would then take the earliest possible bus to campus each morning (6:50 a.m.) — even when my first class didn’t start until 11 a.m. — to claim my secluded study spot.
But after a while, other students started using my spots, and my grades were actually impacted! I spent hours, literally, walking from one spot to another all over campus, desperate to find a quiet place. I couldn’t concentrate with the amount of noise and activity that seemed to occupy every corner of campus. So instead of studying, I was looking for places to study — and then I would become so stressed that studying became impossible!
–Jennifer

7. I made a way-too-obvious sharp turn to avoid an acquaintance.
I was out for a walk over lunch at work when I saw someone I knew coming toward me the opposite way. I panicked and immediately turned down the next street to avoid crossing paths. My detour ended up taking a lot longer to get back to the office. And my sharp turn was so obvious that she definitely saw me.
–Jenna

8. I secretly called an Uber to escape.
This past weekend, I spent three hours in a bridal store with my sister, our mom, and grandma. I felt myself starting to have a panic attack, so I had to get out of there. I told them I needed to get some air, so I was going step outside. I stepped outside and got into the Uber I’d secretly ordered.
After a while, they started calling, but I didn’t answer. I was home for two and a half hours before I realized I DROVE them all to the fitting! My husband and I got my car the next day. Needless to say, I’m kicked out of the wedding!
–Angel

9. I made my boyfriend pretend to break up with me to avoid a wedding.
I made my boyfriend pretend to have split up with me for several weeks so I could avoid having to attend his brother’s wedding. It was a really difficult time, as he was understandably confused and hurt by my attitude, but he went along with it and visited when he could, until a decent interval after the wedding when we could “reconcile.”
I felt guilty but oh-so-very-relieved that I was spared what would have been for me the most incredible ordeal with his loud, exuberant, extroverted family and their friends. Somehow I made it through our own wedding the following year, but I was much happier when we were finally off on our honeymoon!
–Rosemary

10. I snuck cereal into my bedroom so I wouldn’t have to eat breakfast with my in-laws.
I’m a stay-at-home mom and my in-laws just came to visit for two whole weeks. My kids and husband were gone most days for school and work, so I didn’t know how I was going to survive — especially because they love to constantly small-talk. I felt like I was suffocating!
After a few days of panic and despair, I decided to just unapologetically do my own thing every day. On days when they weren’t out visiting places I recommended, I said “see you later” and headed to yoga, to volunteer, anything.
One day, they were sitting at home, and I went across the street and ate lunch by myself, then spent the day laying in the sun reading. It was glorious!
Several mornings, I even snuck a bowl of cereal into my bedroom so I didn’t have to sit at the kitchen table alone with them and make small talk. Hallelujah, they left on Saturday!
–Jenny

11. I fake phone calls.
At work, when walking between meetings or to get lunch, I pretend to be on a call on my cell phone, fully faking it, talking to no one, with pauses in all the right places and everything — just to avoid interacting with anyone on the way!
–Karen


12. I photoshopped pictures to cover my tracks.
Every time I have plans with someone, I’m excited, but when the day gets nearer, I start thinking of an alibi. But when it came to the baptism of my friend’s daughter, I couldn’t think of a good reason not to be there, because I’m one of the godfathers. I mean, I wanted to go to support my friend, but I knew it would be boring and there would be a lot of people, so it would drain me so much.
I love my friend and didn’t want to lie to her, but my anxiety started building up. I told my friend I had to make an emergency visit to my Tita (aunt), far away (a lie), and probably couldn’t make it even if I wanted to (which was true).
My friends didn’t buy it, so I sent them pictures of me in that faraway place with my aunt edited by Photoshop — good thing my editing skills are the best! They still didn’t buy it, but at least they gave up pestering me to come (they know me so well). Needless to say, they didn’t invite me to my friend’s wedding afterwards.
—Ken

source( Introvertdear)

Introvert, what’s the most extreme thing you’ve done to avoid people? Let me know in the comments.

This is hilarious

That Mehari @number 5 sure needs to talk to someone. Her case is quite extreme, bordering on suicidal.

OK here is mine
I pretended to be asleep in order to avoid my cousin when he visited me.
I hid in my room when a female classmate came to collect my textbook.

Mine? During university days I use to take the paths which only few people thread.........sneak into lecture rooms..............in the evening i'm on my hoody.............my course mate, church member all by pass me....thinking it was some stranger...lol .....................a lot of sleep pretense also...

and on birthdays...............my phone is always off

It's fun being an introvert, my own is to fake calls once I want to shenk someone, lots of sleep pretense, switching phone off on birthdays, creating a very uncomfortable atmosphere like suddenly doing thorough environmental when I want to be left alone but my friends won't go.

Hmmn

My phone has always been on flight mode until i need internet, I have changed my phone numbers numerous times, I uninstalled mmy WhatsApp 3days ago, just don't I know why i need this breathing space, #inner peace
PS: kindly visit https://plays.com.ng

I'm not this bad.

But I told family, friends and everyone I lost my voice during the holidays to avoid all the merry-christmas-and-a-happy-new-year phone calls.

When I was young, I'll sneak out through the backyard door to avoid meeting with visitors. I'll then watch from a far till they leave.

PlaysNigeria:
My phone has always been on flight mode until i need internet, I have changed my phone numbers numerous times, I uninstalled mmy WhatsApp 3days ago, just don't I know why i need this breathing space, #inner peace

people just dont understand...i did the same to ....dont fancy messages on whatsapp am nit in any group sef....hate cameras like kilode

I have no other social media presence except here, lots of sleep pretence, two is a crowd for me, when I'm in a gathering of more than two(me and someone else) and everyone is focused on me when I talk or about to talk, I panic and start to stutter, or I pretend to have forgotten what I was about to say, when I'm less busy for hours for a whole day, I lock myself in my room and make no sound throughout, one time, everyone thought I was dead, a friend once asked if I am a ghost cos I behave like one, lol.

Fountainofyouth:
I have no other social media presence except here, lots of sleep pretence, two is a crowd for me, when I'm in a gathering of more than two(me and someone else) and everyone is focused on me when I talk or about to talk, I panic and start to stutter, or I pretend to have forgotten what I was about to say, when I'm less busy for hours for a whole day, I lock myself in my room and make no sound throughout, one time, everyone thought I was dead, a friend once asked if I am a ghost cos I behave like one, lol.

Just imagine.

Two is crowd for you, you would rather be alone locked up for hours, your only social media presence is right here and you should have been taking advantage of this to form/have healthy relationships to at least nurture your mental/emotional health, yet you still chose to spend it fighting, insulting, and surrounding yourself with so much negative energy...
Don't you get drained?

I'm actually starting to feel bad for being too hard on you all this while, when all you need is love.

Whenever my in-laws are on visit, l stay in my room most times to avoid small talks.

I also fake phone calls to avoid interacting with people.

Sometimes I avoid checking my WhatsApp messages directly to avoid replying immediately.

this is serious!

crackhaus:

Just imagine.

Two is crowd for you, you would rather be alone locked up for hours, your only social media presence is right here and you should have been taking advantage of this to form/have healthy relationships to at least nurture your mental/emotional health, yet you still chose to spend it fighting, insulting, and surrounding yourself with so much negative energy...
Don't you get drained?

I'm actually starting to feel bad for being too hard on you all this while, when all you need is love.

Lol, first off, my emotional and mental health is perfectly fine, the fact that I like being alone doesn't mean I don't interact with people, I don't just like crowd,

I only have negative energy here when a comment or sets of comments is perceived as negative, I don't go about insulting people just for the fun of it,

You've never being hard on me, or I never felt that way, anytime I actually see your usual negative vibe, I smile cos I know you like to poke people just to make them react, especially females,

I have love, will continue to be loved cos I'm lovable, so you can join the queue, of which I know you already love me anyway,

And I know you are an introvert too, you just don't want people to see you a certain way.

izzou:


You are an introvert??

Never imagined that

Lol.

Fountainofyouth:



Lol, first off, my emotional and mental health is perfectly fine, the fact that I like being alone doesn't mean I don't interact with people, I don't just like crowd,

I only have negative energy here when a comment or sets of comments is perceived as negative, I don't go about insulting people just for the fun of it,

You've never being hard on me, or I never felt that way, anytime I actually see your usual negative vibe, I smile cos I know you like to poke people just to make them react, especially females,

I have love, will continue to be loved cos I'm lovable, so you can join the queue, of which I know you already love me anyway,

And I know you are an introvert too, you just don't want people to see you a certain way.

You really need to quit reemphasizing this so-called love we have for each other, which I have no knowledge of.

Did you receive the message I conveyed to you through a mutual friend? I meant every word of it.
Stop embarrassing yourself.

crackhaus:

You really need to quit reemphasizing this so-called love we have for each other, which I have no knowledge of.

Did you receive the message I conveyed to you through a mutual friend? I meant every word of it.
Stop embarrassing yourself.

I was on my own o and you quote me, I replied you now I'm embarrassing myself? Who is trying really hard here, me or you?

Self denial is allowed, after all, no one here can confirm whether it's true or not you brought up love here, not me.

By the way, what friend are you on about? I don't recall having a friend here, and what message is that?

Fountainofyouth:

I was on my own o and you quote me, I replied you now I'm embarrassing myself? Who is trying really hard here, me or you?

Self denial is allowed, after all, no one here can confirm whether it's true or not you brought up love here, not me.

By the way, what friend are you on about? I don't recall having a friend here, and what message is that?

You embarrass yourself when you continuously make references to feelings that do not and will never exist.

Don't add obsession to your introversion.

I can relate to the all the above lists

crackhaus:

You embarrass yourself when you continuously make references to feelings that do not and will never exist.

Don't add obsession to your introversion.

Now I'm obsessed? The wonders of Crackhaus

Fountainofyouth:

Now I'm obsessed? The wonders of Crackhaus

I mean, how else would you explain it?
You sef answer yourself.

crackhaus:

I mean, how else would you explain it?
You sef answer yourself.

When we are always at opposite end, why will I be obsessed with you? Give me one good reason?

Fountainofyouth:

When we are always at opposite end, why will I be obsessed with you? Give me one good reason?

Forcing a love on me that I don't want.

Tueh

crackhaus:

Forcing a love on me that I don't want.

Tueh

You know you do sound like you are in love right?

Tueh Tueh

she said talking to me is as if they want force me to talk. because they really don't think I want to talk.

it's means from my behavior and facial contact people are already scared to voice to me. but the truth is when they come closer they found out that I am totally a different person. it's just that I don't like people making contact with me not that I hate them.

to the extent people avoiding me on he way. if they saw me from distance they wait for me to pass first just because they don't want to greet me.
my neighbor wife keep on telling I need an assistance a lady to live with me. just because I live alone and mostly indoor without talking to anyone.


I'm evil genius

Fountainofyouth:

You know you do sound like you are in love right?

Tueh Tueh

Ain't that the point I'm making?
Your obsession makes you believe things like that.

crackhaus:

Ain't that the point I'm making?
Your obsession makes you believe things like that.

You are constantly giving me that impression, how is that my fault or an obsession?

Fountainofyouth:

You are constantly giving me that impression, how is that my fault or an obsession?

How am I giving you that impression when you're the one constantly trying to get my attention on NL?

And don't use my quoting you here as a defense, you know very well I live for ignoring you.
I just couldn't pass on an opportunity to talk about your emotional/mental health.

I mean, panicking, stuttering, pretending to forget what you have to say, behaving like a ghost? Jesus

crackhaus:

How am I giving you that impression when you're the one constantly trying to get my attention on NL?

And don't use my quoting you here as a defense, you know very well I live for ignoring you.
I just couldn't pass on an opportunity to talk about your emotional/mental health.

I mean, panicking, stuttering, pretending to forget what you have to say, behaving like a ghost? Jesus

I don't try to get your attention, I quote any comment I feel like regardless of whose moniker it is, unlike you,

You live for ignoring me, lol, sounds like you are always conscious of my comments, like its permanently in your mind and head to always look out for fountain of youth and ignore, it sounds more like you think about me every day, who is obsessed now

Pretty sure you're getting a hard on cos of my kind of introversion right? You are enjoying the way you gloat, ride on