[A.K.Light]

Advice from a moderate extravert:

Don't worry so much about it. Just have a good time. Do you ever see somebody walk into a room full of strangers and just act like they've known them all forever? They'll say anything and act however they want to. It's great to have that kind of freedom, but you don't even have to be that extreme. There's nothing to fear. Just show people who you really are. Looking stupid is only bad for you when you see it that way. When people laugh at you, or don't understand what you say, it's not an insult. The talkative people forget about that stuff in a matter of seconds. That's the difference between an observer and a participant. The other participants don't have time to analyze everything you do, and they wouldn't even want to, they are having too much fun being in the moment.

If I say something stupid or make a mistake in front of everybody, I don't sit there and think about it. Why should I do that when I can just keep going? Once you're into it, you'll see that all the things that used to seem like a big deal are just part of being social, and that they're not really a big deal to anyone but you.

Another thing is that if you don't like the discussion or the way things are going, you can change it! People expect it. They won't be flabbergasted if you take the lead. It's not controlling or interrupting if other people are willing to go along with you. As long as you're not rude or selfish, everything should be fine. Don't worry about finding the perfect situation, perfect words to say, or entrance point, just join up, and everything will fall into place.

Of course I'm not a genius but that's my take and I hope it helps.

One last thing: Don't feel too bad if you're not talking to people. If you don't really want to talk, then so be it. You don't owe them anything. It's about you.