In my teen years of the late 1970's-early 1980's, the connotation where I lived then was essentially that an introvert=loner, in other words, someone that wanted to be by themself as much as possible, causing me to picture things such as the great Garboe later in life.
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My life turned out way different from that. I found out I could function in large crowds IF similar interests were shared. The rock concert Tawaki mentioned above would be a classic example, as association with like-thinking fans makes the interaction tolerable for me. Another example would be a sporting event. Again, a common ground, very unlike hitting up a big-box store full of dysfunctional families on a weekend, or heading to the DMV on the final Friday of the month, either of which would send my blood pressure to the moon and make me want to go home and hide for a week.
Sure, I would much rather associate in smaller groups, but the more popular my particular interest, the bigger the crowd gathering will be. I've found the best way to prepare for "taking on the masses" is to plan adequate "self-time" both before and after in order to allow healthy planning and unwinding for me.