7 disadvantages of being an introvert

Hsing Wei/FlickrIntroverts tend to stay out of the limelight at work.

There are surprising advantages to being an introvert in a noisy, extroverted world, says Susan Cain, author of the best-selling book "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking."

But there are also several hurdles that the quieter population must cross.

We sifted through the Quora thread, "What does an introvert lose out on in life?" and pulled our favorite answers from introverts and extroverts alike.

Here are seven disadvantages to introversion:

1. Introverts often get labeled as weird or snobbish.

"In almost every real-life situation, folks are going to be suspicious of the person who keeps to themselves," writes Quora user Caroline Zelonka.

"They tend to ascribe a lot of negative traits to the introvert. She's aloof. Snobby. Has something to hide. Strange. Selfish. Every once in awhile it's something good, but 80% of the time the introvert is a shady character."

2. Introverts don't always get the party invitation.

Either they're forgotten or left out, or they take themselves out of the mix. Several introverts admit to politely declining and remaining within their comfort zones.

"Shy people can miss out on a lot of people and social events they would otherwise have enjoyed and benefited from experiencing," writes Quora user Shakti Amarantha.

3. Introverts have a harder time standing out on social media.

Quora user Sabuj Chattopadhyay puts it bluntly: You lose out on "500+ likes on your Facebook profile picture and tags in group photos."

4. Introverts can get overlooked.

"Introverts prefer to blend in with the crowd, and this makes it hard for them to get noticed," writes Radhika Devidas.

Quora user Yadu Bhushan echoes this sentiment, writing that introverts are "the first ones to be forgotten among the batch."

Flickr/Scott Cresswell

5. Introverts can struggle to expand their networks.

"I've lost the chance to know more people, network, hear their stories, get ideas for my stories, make friends in a new city, and build stronger relationships with my teammates," writes an anonymous introvert.

6. Introverts may not score as many dates.

"I was terrible with girls through high school and college," writes introvert Clay Crocker. "Never had the high school or college sweetheart."

7. Introverts are often overshadowed at work.

Introverts tend to be uncomfortable playing up their good deeds, particularly in the workplace.

"When it comes to any group project, our efforts are mostly ignored because we never bothered to highlight how difficult the task was, how important our part was for the complete project, or how we were also busy helping others and still managed to complete the task," writes Quora user and introvert Vivek Sharma.

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