When people ask me if I consider myself to be more introverted or more extroverted, I tell them that I consider myself to be an ambivert. An ambivert is a person whose personality falls somewhere between introvert and extrovert, and can be a balance of the two or can fall more toward one side of the fence. For me, personality tests always place me in the extrovert category, but it's much more complex than that, and personality tests can't always do the entire job.
A typical extrovert would jump on the chance to go out to a party with friends or to attend a social function with a large group of people. At social events they are typically seen chatting with friends, dancing, singing or other activities which might be intimidating for some. After they went to the event, they would be full of energy and feel more alive than ever.
On the other hand, there are the introverts who would prefer to stay home and relax or hang out with a couple friends. They tend to avoid social situations or conditions in which they are the center of attention, and they don't like to put themselves in high-risk situations of any sort. If an introvert needs to feel rejuvenated, they will need some alone time and some time to reflect and decompress. They feel the best after they have had time alone, and are usually homebodies to some degree.
While these two kinds of personalities are extremely opposed, there is not one type that is better than the other, and both have their strengths and weaknesses. The other most important thing to remember is that not all people fall neatly into one category. In fact, it is quite advantageous to have a little bit of both in you.
Somewhere in the middle are the ambiverts who can be happy in and out of the spotlight. At times, depending on the situation, ambiverts may lean more towards one kind of personality. For instance, you may be an ambivert who leans more towards being an Extrovert because you love to host parties. Ambiverts have the ability to adapt to different social situations, but also need alone time to a certain extent. Typically ambiverts will get lost in thought on their own, but they can also carry on great conversations with friends. The beauty of being an ambivert is that we have the ability to relate to both introverts and extroverts, because we have a little of both kinds of people in us. Ambiverts will become extroverted or introverted based on their mood, and sometimes based on random circumstances. Sometimes we need social situations to keep us sane, and other times we just want to go home and hang out with our pets. For me, I sometimes need to be with other humans in social situations, and I need to be out of the house. Yet, other times I will avoid all humans and lay around getting work done until 2 A.M. And it is often completely random as to when I will crave these different activities. Ambiverts can adapt to working in groups, but are also okay with working alone, and are indifferent when it comes to this decision. Ambiverts need some time to decompress, but also like to stay busy. Like all things, being an ambivert has its perks, but also its downfalls. Often times when you should be social, like getting invited to a party, your introversion and anxiety might tell you that you should stay home. Alternately, when it is advisable to stay home, you might make an impulse decision to go out. Being an ambivert is the best of both worlds, sometimes.
So, to all the ambiverts of the world, remember to keep your introversion and extroversion at a balance that makes you happy. Don't let your introverted anxiety keep you from doing fun things, but don't let your extroverted side make irreparable decisions!
