Are you an introvert or an extrovert? This was the first question I received from a Bumble match. It isn't something that I label myself as, either introvert or extrovert or even ambivert. I am simply who I am. I answered it "depends on the people I am interacting with". We do become hyperactive jerks when we are around friends. And become ordinary people in an insignificant crowd.
I was a backbencher during my first year. I have to keep my head down so that the teacher doesn't pick me. Always need to know what was going on in the class when I was using my phone. But one day I sat on the very first bench. I realized it was the most underrated seat in the whole class. No one will occupy it. Not even a single teacher will question your idleness. You can talk, eat, and do whatever you want. In the end, you enjoy the life of a backbencher without getting caught.
If you want to be an extrovert think and act like one. Fake it till you make it is a cheap trick that has guaranteed me success to date. As a result of faking it, you are expected to meet higher standards, which forces you to learn more. I may not know anything about Bharatnatyam per se. But the moment someone says they like it I try to learn it. So that I find common grounds to ask questions. What different forms of Bharatanatyam do you practice? Do you know that it was part of a devadasi temple culture?...
In my opinion, if one has persistence and a mindset, they can become anything they desire. We label people as amazing, introverted, cruel, or stinky based on our observations. The sad part of labeling is that we let others brand us as idiots and the saddest is when we believe it to be true.
The labels we wear prevent us from finding our true potential. Don't let anyone nail you down to a labeled box.
The labels we wear prevent us from finding our true potential 🧡
Nicely written!