There are negative social interactions, and they frequently leave me drained, or seeking solitude.
There are busy interactions where lots of people require my time and attention even though I have other things to do - they can also leave me drained.
There are also positive interactions, with friends or maybe places where people are gathered with a common interest that leave me buoyant and full of energy and enthusiasm.
Even online interactions might count as interactions, and fill my day with various effects on my energy.
Pet interactions are generally pretty positive. I often wonder if some people use pets as proxies for human interaction (may be healthy or unhealthy)
I imagine that, just like how it is impossible for me to empathize with someone that gets re-energized from social interaction, it is nearly impossible for an extrovert to understand how introverts feel.
How is a person with existing relationships vs. new people? Similar people vs. different people?
My theory is that a lot of people labelled "introvert" are just more selective then average in who they want to deal with.
I can be home alone all week and still dread going out to a party if I’m not in the mood. I’m a very social person, but it is still draining. I have never felt so alone that I need social interaction, but I have frequently felt a strong need to be alone.
But I’m also like the parent in that I’ve lead large teams, had greater interpersonal relationships, and have been hoisted to leadership positions regardless of if I was trying to get there or not.
Finally, I imagine the reality of extrovert vs introvert is similar to the modern understanding of gender as a spectrum. I would guess there are not many people that are wholly introverted or extroverted.