Question to all introverts

(Hope this answers your questions)
In my case, NoFap improves my social skills (I still have to find out how much exactly). Also, I find more comfortable to be around people (or at least I don't look like a deer staring at a car in the middle of the highway, frozen in terror).

I think introversion is part choice, part nature. I mean, you can act "extrovert" to a certain extent, which really helps when situations like meetings or presentations arise, but its not like you can be as "introvert" or "extrovert" as you desire at all times. Eventually, you might need to do what you find more naturally relaxing, like reading a book, or going to a party.

 

"Introversion" and "anti-social" are not the same thing: introverts can be very social. In contrast, "extroversion" and "sociability" are not the same thing: there are extroverts who can be just loud, intrusive, and transgress accepted social norms.

Introversion and extroversion are simply personality traits, and on a scale of 1 to 10 between the two, people can be a mix of the two or they may lean more toward one or the other in various degrees.

One way to think about introversion and extroversion is in terms or personal energy. Introverts tend to rejuvenate their expended energy from within, whereas extroverts tend to rejuvenate from without. For instance, an introvert who has been socializing in a crowd of people for an extended time may need some time to themselves to regroup and recoup their energy. They tend to find their energy from within. They are comfortable processing interiorly, often at home with their thoughts. Extroverts, on the other hand, who perhaps are finding their energy being drained when involved in solitary tasks (meditation, studying, working solo, driving solo on a long trip, etc.) may find themselves getting a bit stir-crazy and need to throw themselves in some social gathering to regroup and recoup their energy. They actually get energized themselves when they interact with other people; sometimes they are also rather vocal with their thoughts - they tend to think aloud or bounce their thoughts off of other people in order to process their thinking and to form a conclusion. Of course, some of this is stereotyping, and there are differences among introverts and extroverts and a spectrum in between. While introverts can be mistaken as being hermits because they like to be alone (this may bother an extrovert), extroverts can sometimes be bothersome to an introvert who feels like extroverts are social vampires of sorts, living off the energy of others, sucking them dry. It's really a matter of perspective. But, ultimately, both introverts and extroverts are highly capable of being social, and both are also capable of being anti-social in their respective introverted and extroverted ways. Both introversion and extroversion are personality traits that simply represent a person's giftedness in leaning toward one way or another. Understanding the dynamics of introversion and extroversion is helpful in being at one and at peace with oneself, but also being able to understand others, empathizing, and relating to others from the perspective of the personal giftedness of each. Both have something to contribute.

 

YES. There's a difference between being shy and being an introvert. I can socialize with people, but I choose not to, if I'm around people too much time I get tired and need time alone to replenish my energy. But yeah, I think you can improve your shyness trying NoFap

 

In some ways I think of fapping and shyness as symptomatic, perhaps, of a common problem. For whatever reason one may feel uncomfortable with themselves, and therefore in front of people (as shyness), is the same reason one may want to try to medicate the same discomfort and pain with PMO. It's not the only reason for PMO, but medicating (trying to escape) personal pain of all sorts is a big reason for any addiction. So in this case, shyness and fapping are symptomatic of a common, underlying issue and not a cause of one to the other. Nofap will not necessarily make you not shy anymore, but it might help you to stop avoiding the real issues in life and find better coping mechanisms or ways toward healing and self-confidence. Then, when the real issues of insecurity are being addressed in appropriate manner, then shyness may very well dwindle.

 

Nothing can turn an introvert into an extravert. It's hard wired.

Of course it does.

Don't listen to them - the world needs more introverts.

No.

No.

 

First of all ... why should it need less? That's what a lot of people you meet seem to think.

Introverts are usually people who think first, then act - how could that be something not desirable!

As a heavy (and proud) introvert I can also assure you that you can very well learn to interact and communicate with people very efficiently. Most of my friends think I am an extravert.

 

NoFap hasn't changed my social behavior much as I already became more extroverted over the past years. Getting into NoFap just means ridding myself of burdens of the past to me. I used to think of myself as being 100% introverted, I kind of took some pride in it, which is silly, as you should just be yourself and act in a way that makes you happy and the best verion of yourself that could possibly exist out there. At some point I realized that my brain becomes foggy when I sit at home too much, so I invested some energy into becoming a more spontaneous and outgoing person! Talking to people can be very refreshing to me. To get to know other people is to get to know yourself a little more. Overcoming social anxiety is just a matter of practice.

 

Stop thinking it is wrong being an introvert. Introverts are as social as extraverts, they just express it differently. Introverts love talking with people but they prefer 1 on 1 conversations or a small group rather than large groups. What you should try to become is a confident introvert. It's not introversion/extraversion that people dig, it's confidence. Accept that you're an introvert and make the best out of it. Don't think that introversion=being unsocial.
If people want to have deep conversations they'd rather come to you than to an extrovert.
I read once that extraverts are people pleasers while introverts are person pleasers. I think that hits the nail on the head

 

I consider myself to be an extreme introvert, but introversion alone is something different than introversion + anxiety which is loneliness, as a result of fapping (at least in my case)
I guess nofap is teaching me how to be a confident introvert.It makes me realize it's not something to be sad about, nor something to be proud of.I mean, the key is to accept and embrace who you are with every detail of it, and nofap somehow helps that drastically.

I used to be an introvert who locked himself in the house and played video games, read novels, smoked cigarettes, fapped, wrote and drew stuff and so forth for the whole day.
Now i'm an in introvert who still does some of those (except for video games and cigarettes, I don't need them anymore, & ofc pmo), but is also confident in himself, takes a walk outside into the fresh air everyday, shares his discoveries with people, and just feels great to be alive, embracing himself with each detail.
You get the difference.

 

I used to be an all-around extrovert before PMO became a habit. 6 years in total. Complex stuff right here..

 

Being on NoFap didn't change me into an extrovert. I'm an introvert and probably always will be. It did affect at least one of my social skills however. I've learned how to be assertive and I'm no longer afraid to say NO to other people. Somehow after being resolute and refusing to please my own habit, I no longer have the need to please other people all the time ...

 

Extrovert or introvert is not a choice and they've done studies showing this. Introverts have higher brain activity levels while extroverts have lower brain activity levels showing that introverts just use their minds more and don't need to be around other people. Extroverts need to have external stimulation in order to feel charged up while introverts need to be alone to feel replenished. Anyone who tells you that you should "stop being an introvert" are probably ignorant extroverts who, while they have their hearts in the right place, are following a misguided social rule that says all people who are bright, bubbly and social are successful and see introverts as sad, lonely and depressed. They just don't understand because that's not how their brain works.

To answer your other question: NoFap hasn't changed anything for me, yet, but I've been fortunate enough to be a part of a movement in the 90's and 2000's that shared a way of how men can exist in the world that is not only self empowering but also very, very attractive to women. Unfortunately I can't make use of this because my porn habit has dumbed my brain down to the point that trying is useless. When I've been fapfree for three months, I'll let all of you know if this has changed or not.