I’m an introvert that loves pc’s. I go out of my way to learn the basics of pc’s. Then learn very fringe things about pc’s. For example: basic things about pc’s is that all pc’s need a cpu, memory and power to boot. Fringe: learning how how memory is stored, and cached. Learning about the cells on a memory die and the maximum amount of information it can hold.
Do extroverts also feel this way about socializing. You learn the basics, and your so interested that you go the extra mile and explore the fringes of it?
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Don’t fall into this trap, applying machine logic to socializing. The human brain works much more differently than a machine does. I know that’s an obvious statement, but bare with me.
Socializing is more like learning sports, or how to draw and paint, it takes practice and honing an intuition of the act in itself. Extroverts are a bit more uninhibited, either by being accepted easily growing up for whatever reason, and being able to do things socially that people like them for… So basically they just develop an instinct, it’s more of an art to socialize.
What I’ve gathered that’s fundamental to socializing, is genuinely not caring what others think of you, being courageous without shame, dealing with the reactions like you would the output from a program you are writing, and using that information to change how you go about acting around certain people. The fundamental key aspect though, is not having fear of whatever reaction you’ll get, so you can understand, a lot of people don’t have this skill unlocked because it’s scary. Socializing isn’t a math problem with one correct answer.
To be honest, it’s best to socialize without expecting or imagining a reaction, just do what you feel like doing and see what happens. Go from there… Rinse and repeat. The pros and mavericks of socializing, know how to handle a bad reputation, and being able to change it from there…
Typically, extroverts are defined as getting energy from social interactions, and introverts as getting energy from being alone. Your interest in learning about it is irrelevant (you could absolutely have an introvert who’s absolutely enamored with social interactions and psychology).
From my experience, most extroverts might pick up on cues and change their actions next time, but they’re not reading books, blogs or forums. However, most extroverts *on this subreddit* who aren’t pursuing a specific issue (e.g. shyness) likely are the kind of people who love learning about it all, just like you said! As with all things, improving (as opposed to just learning trivia) requires practice.