If you've taken a psychology course, or spend too much time browsing BuzzFeed, you've most likely taken a personality quiz. The Myers-Briggs is very popular, as well as the Hartman Personality Profile. What most people think they know about themselves is whether they are an "extrovert" (someone that draws energy from being around other people) or an "introvert" (someone who draws energy from being by themselves).
It seems that the entire human race is either one or the other of these two personality types. For example, if you don't raise your hand often in class, you're an introvert, and if you like to go out and meet new people, you're an extrovert. It can be easy to create a false dichotomy like that when it seems like there are only two options.
However, psychologists have recently discovered what they call a "lost" or "forgotten" personality type, the "ambivert." On the personality continuum, ambiversion is directly between introversion and extroversion. You may be an ambivert if you feel like you relate to aspects of both introverts and extroverts, depending on the situation you are in.
If you're an ambivert, here is a list of relatable ambivert things that you might recognize:
Taking personality quizzes and getting contradicting results:
No personality quiz is perfect, so taking multiple quizzes can be a good idea. It's just that many ambiverts can change their answers depending on their current moods, so their results can be vastly different from test to test (or even when they retake a test!)
Meeting new people can be fun, but only if you've got an old friend to back you up:
Sometimes you just need the reassurance and support of someone familiar before you can go out and make more friends
You can be the center of attention at a party, but then suddenly feel incredibly drained:
You can be goofy and loud when you feel like it, but there comes a time when you've burnt yourself out and it's time to go home.
You balance out the energy of the people you are with:
It all depends on who you hang out with. You will be more talkative and outgoing with an introvert, or listen more and observe with an extrovert
You don't like to be around a lot of people for too long... or be alone for too long:
You've got to find a middle ground between these two confusing, contradicting impulses; it can be a real challenge if you don't even know you feel this way, too!
The perfect balance is just chilling out with your closest friends:
This way, you don't have to expend any energy meeting new people or be alone! A small gathering of friends is enough for you to let loose and get a little wild.
You are able to sit in comfortable silence with other people and enjoy yourself:
Because you don't always need to be alone in silence; sometimes you still need to be around someone when you aren't feeling like talking.
You like meeting new people and going to new places, but not at the same time:
You may feel uncomfortable if you don't maintain something familiar in a new situation. If you're going to be talking to a lot of different people in a new or strange place, then you can easily become overwhelmed.
How you act around people you don't know is very different from how you act around friends:
Sometimes it's easier to handle new situations with a more controlled version of yourself. Your friends may think you've changed into someone completely different, though.
You don't usually talk to strangers, but if you discover a common interest you can easily strike up a conversation:
It might only take the mentioning of your favorite book or movie to make you feel comfortable enough to talk to someone new. Also, complimenting someone you've never met isn't too challenging for you.
Sometimes you compromise and sometimes you stick to your guns:
Depending on the situation, when conflict arises you will react differently to those around you. You may hold fast to your opinions and decisions, or you may yield to another person's ideas. This is most likely dependent on your mood at the time, in combination with the personalities of the people you are with!
Can you relate to some of the things listed above? Maybe you are actually an ambivert!
