The Unsolicited Attention

     The unsolicited attention you receive from other people — perhaps might be a reflection of society's message that you are not okay. It's like a wake-up call, a hopeful gesture that aims to establish a connection. Even if you deny your inner struggles to the world and keep it only to yourself, and you manage somehow to keep it low-key with minimal noise at most, I realized today that sometimes your silence is unsettling for others. It can feel as jarring as the sound of grinding steel, evoking immediate reactions and discomfort from those around you. They may try to contain and fill your silence with their own opinions, beliefs, and advice. 

     As someone who has always been comfortable with silence, it has now become a major hiccup for me to navigate adulthood. I have always been someone who speaks when necessary. I am not the type to speak about everything. I prefer listening over speaking in most conversations. This does not mean I am antisocial or averse to confrontations; it is simply my natural tendency towards introversion. However, I have found myself caught between my introversion and social anhedonia. My inclination toward being asocial has led me to immerse myself in my own world for years, to the point where social interactions now feel burdensome. 

     More than ever, I recognize the need to find a balance between my introverted nature and the social demands of the world around me.