Who else stares into the peephole for the neighbors to clear out of the hallway before exiting the front door? Just me? Okay…

Other introverts can probably relate to this social avoidance tactic, but because it is primarily learned from trial and error, one must accidentally get locked in a chit-chat battle with their neighbor before fully understanding. As our ancestors who hunted their own food, taught themselves to grow grain, and struggled on a daily basis to survive, watch us from up above, perhaps they’re confused by our elevated heart rate and social anxiety from human interaction. Ashamed of the softness of mankind, our ancestors may shake their heads—but that doesn’t cure my socially induced panic attack! 

So while it may seem silly to stare into a hole in the front door for longer than two minutes, while we wait for the elderly woman with the white crusty dog to clear out, perhaps it’s just a means of evolution that can save introverts from the inevitable small talk we dread.