What is your take on the two personality traits? Why are some people loud and others are so quiet?
I feel as though everyone has insecurities, but what are the differences between an extrovert's insecurities versus an introvert's insecurities?
Neither necessarily implies a person has insecurities. Extroverts are externally focused, and introverts are internally focused, that's all. Both like socializing. Extroverts just tend to prefer busier venues and more networking, to the introvert's one-on-one close bond model. They have different ideas of what qualifies as a meaningful interaction.
Either one can be socially anxious. It just looks different. Extroverts might seem "strange," sometimes say something inappropriate out of nervousness, over-apologize for everything, etc. Introverts are more likely to actually avoid the interaction all together.
The conflation of introversion with quietness or shyness is common, but not necessarily true. I'm an introvert with a big, expressive voice. I've never had social anxiety. I just feel distracted by too much cross-conversation going on at once, and I prefer to be able to focus on a single, contiguous conversation.
I'm also very comfortable on stage, or giving speeches. And actually, that's not unusual. There are lots of famous performers who are introverted. Think about it for a second: when you're performing, are you really
interacting? Or are you focusing on your own task, trying to do it the best you can? It's much more the latter.
Some people do drain me, because I am only interested in certain types of conversations that some other people aren't. I get drained by small talk or other surface-level conversation. It's not natural to me, so doing it requires a conscious effort that just doesn't feel enjoyable, and that's why it's draining. I want to get into a deeper level conversation, and stay there. It's part of why I like forums. No small talk, just straight to the focus of whatever the forum is about, which is the thing I'm interested in.
This is also, basically, why I need alone time. That's the time I use to learn, think, or create, which then fuels my ability to converse about the things I like to converse about. I need that quiet time to focus on my mental process.
I prefer knowing people to meeting people for that reason. People I already know are going to be easier to slide into that mode of conversation with. I'm perfectly happy to have a handful of close people in my life, and pretty much just stick to that.