'You are not broken. You are stuck...': Ankur Warikoo's reply to an introvert who felt inferior to others is a masterclass in self-confidence

Many people struggle with speaking up in meetings, meeting new people, or pushing back against unreasonable demands at work. Often, they assume it is simply part of their personality and something they must live with forever. A recent response shared by entrepreneur and content creator Ankur Warikoo has struck a chord online because it challenges that belief and offers a different way of looking at self-doubt, introversion, and personal growth.

Warikoo took to social media to share an email he had recently received from someone seeking advice. The person wrote that being around new people made him uncomfortable. He described himself as an introvert who often felt inferior to others and wanted to know how he could stand up for himself without harming relationships.

Sharing more context, Warikoo explained that the sender believed he had always been this way. He would become overly self-conscious in social situations, hold back during meetings, and stay silent when senior colleagues imposed unreasonable deadlines. Over time, he had convinced himself that his personality was the problem.

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Ankur Warikoo's response

Warikoo disagreed. In his response, he told the sender that he was "not broken" but was instead "stuck in a story" that no longer served him. According to Warikoo, introversion itself was not the real issue. The bigger challenge was avoidance.

He explained that the person was not avoiding people because he genuinely preferred solitude. Rather, he was avoiding situations because he feared he would not be good enough. To make his point, Warikoo used a simple analogy. Nobody learns to swim by standing on the shore and discussing the ocean. The only way to become comfortable with difficult situations is to step into them repeatedly until they no longer feel difficult.


The entrepreneur also addressed a common misconception about workplace communication. Many people stay quiet because they worry that speaking up might appear disrespectful. Warikoo shared a lesson he said took him years to learn. Being assertive is not the same as being disrespectful. At the same time, remaining silent should not automatically be mistaken for respect. In many situations, silence simply makes a person invisible.

He further warned that avoiding discomfort today does not eliminate the problem. It merely postpones it. According to him, the cost often reappears later in the form of resentment, burnout, frustration, or feeling taken for granted.


As a practical starting point, Warikoo suggested taking one small step. He encouraged the sender to identify a single moment during the week to say something he would normally keep to himself. If needed, he advised writing it down beforehand, even using a simple statement such as explaining that a task requires more time to be completed properly.

Internet reacts

Internet users connected with Ankur Warikoo’s message, with one user pointing out that a major confidence shift comes from realising that people are often too occupied with their own lives to judge others as much as we imagine. The user added that the stories we create in our minds can sometimes feel louder than reality. Another user described the advice as genuinely helpful.