Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

[I_am_not_mafia]

My social skills were pure shit 3 years ago.I only talked when i absolutely had to and used a bare minimum of words.My classmates used to find me "fascinating".
Then i read somewhere that Company's wouldn't choose you - no matter how good of a programmer you are - if your social skills are shit.

Truth is social skills are some really hard skills to master.
Small talk is an art - an extremely hard one,especially for the smart one's.

There are lot's of benefits if a person can increase their social game.

I was a late developer with regard to social skills. Even into my early to mid twenties I would refer to myself as a social inadequate to just hurry up and get past that stage where people would look at me funny and call me 'weird' or ask if I was for real (whatever that means).

Eventually though I unlearned all the stupid things I had erroneously learned growing up for several reasons that I won't go into and started developing as a person in ways that I never had a chance to before. I pay a lot more attention to my social interactions than most people and really mentally berate myself for even the slightest social faux pas or if I cause offence. No one would realise that now when talking to me. I also notice when other people make mistakes, but unlike them I am still far more attentive to the effect that I am having on other people and still trying to improve my social skills. So I may be a late bloomer but on the positive side I still have a lot more potential to further develop my social skills compared to other people that have always taken it for granted that they will be accepted.

Referring back to the distinction between introvert and extrovert being one where you either use up or gain energy from social interactions, I do find it quite exhausting after a while. Especially three days locked away with my mother in law over Christmas waffling on about the price of milk or where she buys dog biscuits. She was confused and upset when I finally made an escape to do 10 hours of programming alone in a bedroom on Boxing day just to get a chance to relax. Three full days of inane chatter when you're not given a chance to say anything and your body language and every response is being scrutinised, it makes me shudder just remembering it. No wonder I deliberately tried coming down with seasonal flu to avoid it the next year.