Experiencing stereotyping

As soon as I meet new people, most of them make assumptions about me based on stereotypes. They usually think that I am either conceited or weird. I'm just an introvert person who finds it difficult to start a conversation with people I don't know well.

Other times it's my hearing impairment that makes it really difficult to maintain the flow of the conversation. Even those who have known me for a while have a similar opinion. One of my semi-friends always keeps telling me to change my attitude so I can get to know people easily and make new friends.