When you're an introvert, social situations can require a great amount of concentration and energy, which can make meeting new people more challenging. In a thread on Reddit, introverted people have been sharing the unconventional stories of how they met their romantic partners — and honestly, a few sound like the stuff of romantic comedies.

Take, for instance, this couple who were shy, but whose dogs weren't: "We met at the dog park. We had started talking more (our dogs were instantly best friends) and I kept thinking 'is it weird that we always leave at the same time? He's going to think I'm doing it on purpose,' so I started making sure I either left before him, or waited until after he left... Turns out, he was leaving at the same time as me on purpose. We're marred now, and our dogs are inseparable."

That's literally the plot of 101 Dalmations, is it not? Then there was this self-proclaimed nerd whose interests helped him find a girlfriend (aided by a third party facilitator): "The day I moved in with a roommate, he started dating a girl. When she saw a 3D printer in my bedroom she said 'oh! My super nerdy best friend would love to talk to you about 3D printing and other nerdy shit!'"

Having somebody play matchmaker is a common theme on the thread. After all, things get even harder if the person you're into is introverted or shy as well. Who makes the first move? A lot of the time, romance relied on the person in question having an understanding friend who helped introduce them or even set them up. "A mutual friend noticed how we are basically the same person and spent considerable effort in trying to convince us to talk to each other," recalls one person. "She was right!"

And perhaps unsurprisingly, a lot of introverted people have had remarkable success in finding someone who's right for them on the internet — particularly forums and online communities where they feel comfortable enough to be themselves and share the things they're passionate about.

"We're both gamers," says one such commenter. "We were part of the same guild in an MMORPG and us along with a few buddies struck a friendship that's been lasting for years now. The buddies kept poking us about maybe liking each other, we kept denying it. One day, a few years ago, out of nowhere, while we were completing a little level together, he asked me out. I was scared, reluctant, but I said yes. Few years later and he's my future hubby."

There are even Minecraft couples out there, and if that doesn't give you hope, I don't know what will.

Philip Ellis Philip Ellis is a freelance writer and journalist from the United Kingdom covering pop culture, relationships and LGBTQ+ issues.

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