Lasting romantic success is difficult even for extroverts to achieve. The divorce rate is sky-high, and even those who remain together often do so out of habit or for financial security, not out of love or even fondness. There are happy, loving exceptions, but not enough of them -- none of the marriages in my entire extended family would I find acceptable to call my own.
Given the romantic difficulty that the average person faces, a shy, awkward introvert will face much, much more. It might seem unromantic, but even with love there's a cost/benefit ratio, and while I would glean as much (if not more) benefit from a genuine relationship as the average person, the cost for me would be, psychologically-speaking, staggeringly higher.
Now, if the heavens see fit to cross my stars with the right girl, I'm all hers, and I'd be as loyal and loving as anyone could be. But to actively date and seek out such a girl would be for me to play the lottery -- the right girl would be a jackpot, but the odds are against me, and if calculated would show a net-loss-per-attempt. I simply don't have the willpower for that cycle of hope and disappointment. I'd rather deliberately pursue (romantic) solitude, and that's what I've done for almost a year now.
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