'Club Introvert' helps socially anxious Calgarians come out of their shell

A Calgary meetup group is providing a safe space and laid-back atmosphere for the city's socially anxious.

Club Introvert describes itself as a place for people to "make new friends and/or date others who think or act" like them.

Instead of going to a noisy bar or rowdy club, members get together several times a week at local coffee shops.

"The worst part about being a quiet person especially if you're in a loud world is you often get asked, 'Why are you so quiet?'," saysAndrew Neal, whohosts the Tuesdaymeetup.

"I always like to say that there are better questions to ask if you want someone to talk,"he said.

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The only club rule is there is acap on how many people can attend a singlemeetup.

"The reason is, basically, a lot of people who are socially anxious are socially anxious in large groups. And the smaller the group, the easier it is to kind of come out of your shell a little bit," Neal said.

Calgary's introvert club is popular

No more than eight introverts can sign up for a single meetup and the spots fill up fast.

Club Introverthas 1,251 followers and has already had more than 300 meetupssince it was founded in 2014.

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Neal said the club exists to take the pressure off socializing in aworld whereextroversion is the norm.

"In our society, the loudest people win. They're dominant because they're more visible," he said.

Neal saidthere have been a few instances where people who are not really introverts show up.

But that only becomes a problem if they dominate conversations and get pushy.

"There have been people who have been kicked out of the group. It's very rare, but it happens.Most of the time it's [because they're] making other people uncomfortable. And that's really the one thing that we don't want."

Calgary Eyeopener4:05A club for socially anxious Calgarians

Calgary's introvert club is for people who usually avoid people.