People-persons, social butterflies, whatever you like to call them—we extroverts thrive on social interaction. We feel most energized and alive in a room full of people, and we tend to dominate conversation in group settings. While extroversion is often beneficial in social situations, being alone can be a challenge.
Following is a list of the pros and cons of being an extrovert that I have observed within my own life.
Pros:
1. Conversing well with others comes naturally.
Most extroverts are able to smoothly carry on conversation with others. In social settings, extroverts are rarely shy and are comfortable with meeting new people. This is a favorable trait for making friends, getting jobs, or any other social engagement.
2. We are "doers."
Extroverts like to constantly be doing something. Oftentimes, we get bored when we are not doing enough. This leads to a lot of productivity, and perhaps even over-achieving.
3. It is easy to express thoughts.
One thing about most extroverts is that we are never at a loss for words. We almost always have something to say, and rarely do we hold back from saying it. People always know what is on our minds; we are like open books. This one can be considered a blessing and a curse.
Cons:
1. It is hard to be alone.
Many extroverts prefer talking to someone for support when faced with hardships, whereas many introverts may choose to handle their problems on their own. The issue with the extrovert approach is that there may not always be someone available to help, meaning sometimes it is necessary to deal with problems internally. This is often seen as a challenge for extroverts because of our reliance on others.
2. We are easily bored.
Because most of us extroverts are "doers," downtime is often seen as a challenge. Extroverts like to stay stimulated, and therefore get bored easily when alone or when lacking a "task." It can even be hard to stay focused on just one task because we feel like we always need to be doing more. Needless to say, it can be hard to relax.
3. It is difficult to connect to introverts.
Extroverts and introverts see the world in slightly different ways. For many extroverts, it is hard to understand why introverts act the way they do, and vice versa. It is a common mistake for extroverts to assume all introverts are shy, simply because they do not rely on interaction with others in the way that we extroverts do. The gap between the levels of dependence on social interaction create a lack of connection.
It is imperative to figure out whether someone is extroverted or introverted in order to better understand their behavior and how to communicate with them. While being an extrovert has its downsides, our amiability can often be found very rewarding.
