I just ran across this video and felt it should be shared here.
For all my fellow introverts who have struggled with some of these same concerns, or still are.

4341957 I've seen that one, but this one is cool for introverts too.

You wanna know what I feel? We're all different people. We're all good people, but we're all different people. Introversion and extroversion might probably be genetic things, and optimism/pessimism definitely is. You need to be who you are. You need to do what makes you feel good (truely good) to an extent that makes you feel good.

Thinking that who you are isn't good and that you need to be someone else is pretty much the same as saying that you're inferior to other people and they're superior to you. That certain people are better than others and we need to strive to be like those people or else we deserve nothing. But actually, you can't compare yourself to anyone or anyone to you because you're not like anyone and no-one is like you. That would be like comparing a banana to a pencil sharpener. Now I'm not saying you should hurt anyone or yourself, because no-one's personality is that. I'm saying that different people are meant for different situations (like, not in a king versus peasant kind of way, more like a computer programmer versus nurse kind of way) and different tasks and you need to find what you are good at and comfortable with.

What makes you happy. If that's writing, so be it. If that's making videos, so be it. If that's talking to people, go ahead, if that's figuring science out, that also works. Hell, if it's making snakes out of play-doh, go for it. Yeah of course you have to step out of our comfort zone sometimes and that's a good thing under the right circumstances, as it helps you discover yourself and shit, but if you hate doing something, don't try to force yourself into loving it. Try to do something different. If you literally can't, which some people can't (in this piece of shit world) then obviously you need to learn to accept it. But you need to be at peace with yourself. You need to love yourself.

And of course it's good to dream and set goals, but don't put too much emotions into them, because situations change, dreams change, you learn things about yourself that you didn't know before, and so much things change. You don't what's gonna happen in the future, you can't. So don't' be all like "the future HAS to be like this" be more like "I'll make the best decisions I can and go for something but if that doesn't happen I'll be fine." Because if you think about it, you honestly will be fine, you won't die you'll just have to change tactics.

If a test said that you should do something you really don't' feel comfortable doing, or if a parent or teacher or friend or society or whatever says that you should do something you feel really bad doing, don't fucking do it. Don't hurt anyone of course, but BE YOU. Don't change yourself. You can't. And nobody is bad or evil or anything. But we're all different. And we need to all be different for the world to work. And we're all awesome. Remember that.

P.S it's in nobody's nature to hurt other people, though short-temperdness and shit is in peoples' nature. In those types of situations, try to remove yourself from the situation or build your tolerance bit by bit in a HEALTHY, non-self-loathing way.

4341967 This lady just said what I've been trying to say my whole life.

4342066 You, have just earned a follow

4341967
I like the video, she had some good points, however...

I made these self negating choices so reflexively, without even realizing I was making them.

That right there is the rel problem she faced. It wasn't a desire to be more outgoing or find other avenues of expression and self-discovery, but to stop instinctively forcing herself into things she truly didn't want.
Not all introverts are facing these problems due to pressure from society or ingrained ideas on what is better. Some of us actually know we could be more happy if we came out of our shells, so to speak.

I posted the video for a couple reasons. To start with, I know many in this group face anxiety regarding the same issues of expressing themselves, and even approached from the same attitude AnimatedJames did. I thought seeing a popular fellow brony with the same problem might help them see they aren't alone. I've fallen for the same traps myself, leading to 2 failed youtube channels among several other ventures.

That brings me to the second point. While I may have fallen for the lures of chasing the approval of the masses, I eventually stopped, but didn't stop being creative, nor finding new avenues of expressing myself. Let me tell you all a story.

A good singing voice runs in my family. My grandmother was put on several records in her 20's which were reproduced and sold across the midwest. My father used to sing as a teenager with his friends back in Chicago, using the larger sewer openings for good acoustics, and went on to produce tons of amateur recordings for friends and family over his life, many with songs he wrote.
Growing up, I quickly and easily copied the style of singers on the radio, and managed to do many songs justice, but I starkly refused to sing in front of others. I got plenty of praise and approval when someone caught me singing, but I always felt like singing in public was wrong, at least for me. Even when listening to music, I couldn't stand the idea of people seeing me move along to the beat, even in small ways, let alone sing along. I couldn't even do any of it in front of my family or friends, let alone strangers on the street, but I wanted to become part of the music so bad.
A few years ago however, I took a singing class in college. I had already worked through a good bit of my social shyness, and had begun moving with the music when I was alone at the bus stop or walking around (provided no one was nearby). This was something that persisted. I knew I could sing, other people knew I could sing, and even in front of them I still couldn't due to crippling shyness, but I forced myself to take that class.
The midterm was a song of our choosing, performed in front of the whole class, and we'd pretty much got our grade right after, making it very stressful. I went with a song from the musical episode of Buffy, but hadn't been able to practice with the teacher who was providing piano backup, so he had no idea how the song went apart from the sheet music, and messed up a bit which messed me up as well. I was so nervous I had to close my eyes through the whole thing, and my voice still felt shaky in my throat.
But I did it, and you know what?
I got nothing but praise from the other students and the teacher. He even went on to single me out in future classes to show how harmony worked since I was naturally good at it. I have since moved on to not only moving with me music when I listen to it in public, but also silently sing along (with full over-the-top style facial movements like I'm really singing it), even on the bus with people all around me.
I'm still a bit nervous, and sometimes I instinctively try to shy away or stop, but in refusing those thoughts and acting in spite of them, I enjoy myself all the more. I even went as far as to rap out part of a Linkin Park song to someone I had only met a few minutes earlier at a friends party a while back.

The point is, it's one thing to wish to be alone because you enjoy it, and then make yourself unhappy because you think it's what society wants.
It's quite another to want to be more out there, but being held back by your own reservations, in spite of knowing beyond doubt things will be okay.
The woman in the video had the first, but many have the second, like AnimatedJames and myself, and I hope others around here might be encouraged to take that chance they've always wanted, not for the approval of others, but for themselves; To let their brilliant inner-selves shine as brightly as the extroverts.

Of course that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

4342220 From your description and story you sound more like an ambivert. The point she is trying to make is that being an introvert doesn't make you crippled, she is calling for our society to change their thinking that being an introvert is a bad thing. Much like the Meyer's & Briggs test, it's not there to point out your flaws, just point out what makes a person think. While I'm not a fan of the Meyer's &Briggs test, but rather the Insights Discovery test.

Cause rather than just giving you the label, it gives you a color that is meant to improve productivity and effectiveness. The test is made so we can understand people better, not as a crippling label that says "you do this" but rather "this is why you do this."

Edit: and the thing is, you are a mixture of all colors but in different orders. Like I'm a green, blue, yellow, red. Means that the majority of my personality is green and I first think in green.

I'm istp yay *says with extra sarcasm*

4342082 Thanks.

4342260
To get literal, we're all essentially ambiverts, since no one can be a pure introvert or extrovert and still be functionally sane.
As she covered in the video it's more of a gradient, and I am definitely more towards introvert.
While I may enjoy being in a group, it's only if it's involved in things I'm interested in, and even then I tend to only deal with one person at a time or just watch the rest of the group's antics. In most MMORPGs I've played I tend to level up alone, not because I dislike other people but because it feels better for me. in school I also stayed separate, having friends, but usually spending my time away from them.

I'm not sure I completely understand the insight discovery method, as the video doesn't actually explain it at all, but after looking at another video with different examples under each color, I'd label myself Blue-Yellow for the first two (not sure on last two)
Also, blue and green would both be versions of introversion while red and yellow would be extroversion, meaning people like myself whose primary color is introverted but their second is extroverted, could find themselves with a strong desire to be out there while by nature keeping themselves distant.
Many people are full of such contradictions.

4343690 Here's my order of color (just to show what I meant by order, with top being dominant personality):

How to figure out your last two and understanding how to work with those around you:

The good and bad day meaning exactly what they mean When your needs aren't being met or your angry, that's your bad day.
(4342611)
And rather than saying, "I am ISTP, now I am stuck with this." Find your colors you are more suited for and go from there.

...and what do ya know?! I'm green dominant and there's a veterinarian as a job profession, I'm currently a Vet Tech student. I found the right career before I even took the test

4345119
That good and bad day chart makes it WAY more clear, thanks!
Going by that I am either Blue Yellow Green Red, or Blue Green Yellow Red.