If you have ever felt that you are neither a loner nor a party freak all the time then you’re most probably an Introverted Extrovert. In simple words, an introverted extrovert is a person that has the qualities of both an introvert and an extrovert. They may feel their personality and mood change in different environments.
Five Signs that indicate that you might be an Introverted Extrovert
1. You are not always open
As you have the qualities of an introvert so you tend to keep some important information to yourself and do not always share everything. But that doesn’t mean that you don’t occasionally like to share your secrets and stories with some close friends. You know what you want to share and also what information to keep away from others.
2. You are affected by your surroundings
Because you are in the middle of the spectrum you tend to have different moods where you can be more introverted or extroverted. The kind of your environment and the quality of people around you may determine your mood for social engagement or introversion.
3. You have a threshold of social engagement
Have you ever felt that your social battery runs out when you get to socialize too much? You might continue the small talk but you would feel drained after all the social engagement if you are an ambivert. Such individuals have a limited social battery and they can only engage with a certain number of people before they start craving their personal space.
4. You need alone time to recharge your social energy
As an introverted extrovert, you will be more inclined to take some time for yourself and relax in your own zone before you get recharged for your social connections and obligations.
5. Connections can be energizing or draining for you
The truth is most of us enjoy deep and meaningful conversations with others. As conversations have the ability to make us feel seen, understood and stimulated. For ambiverts having good communication can be very energizing and exciting. At the same time having small talk and socializing for too long can be a draining experience.
To understand this term better let’s look at what it means to be an extrovert or an introvert.
What is an extrovert?
An extrovert is a person that feels energized by socializing and physical activities. These people generally find it easier to connect with a large number of people, talk to a bigger crowd, and hold small talk.
Extroverts often have large social circles and tend to enjoy the company of their friends and acquaintances. They feel happier in social settings and have more energy to deal with people.
It is generally believed that extroverts form good leaders due to their social personalities, charisma and people skills. However, they may appear to be shallow and narcissistic to some people.
What is an introvert?
An introvert is someone who requires introspection and solitude to function. Introverts find it hard to socialize with new people and large crowds. They may have difficulty holding small talk. However, introverts have good relationships with a few selective people in their circle. Introverts can have deep meaningful conversations and relationships with the people of their choosing.
Introverted people are more in-tune with their inner thoughts and they are more introspective. Introverted thinking makes people more sensitive and self-aware, which can help them nourish deep bonds with others.If you want more details. You could learn more about the topic from here introverts vs extroverts. Introverts have a hard time making friends, you can learn more about this here Making Friends As An Introvert.
So what is an Introverted Extrovert?
You might be wondering why you don’t feel like you belong to either of these categories. And this is probably because you are a combination of these two personality types.
Being an introvert or an extrovert are not concrete terms, rather there is a wide spectrum between the two categories. If you feel like you have the qualities of both, then you lie in the middle of the spectrum and you’re probably an ambivert.
By the way, extra means outwards and intro means inward and vert means to turn. So introvert means someone that turns inward while extrovert or extravert turns outwards. Ambi means both, so that is why ambiverts naturally turn both inwards and outwards.
Another related term to ambivert is omnivert. A person is called an omnivert when he or she has both the qualities of introverts and extroverts and can easily turn towards any qualities.
Is being an ambivert a new thing?
Psychologists and scientists have designated this ambivert category for people that lie in the middle of the spectrum since the 1950s.
Carl Jung was the first person to classify the introvert and extrovert personality types. He believed that this classification system did not encompass all people and many did not fit either category. However, the correct term to describe the personality type was determined much later.
The popularity and understanding of the ambivert personality type are growing with a variety of content available on the topic.
Advantages of being an introverted extrovert
As introverted extroverts have a personality type that’s a mix of both ends of the spectrum, naturally they enjoy the benefits of both introversion and extroversion.
Research indicates that ambiverts have more successful careers. For example, a study found that salespersons with ambivert personalities made a greater number of sales compared to other personalities. This is because ambiverts have pleasing personalities due to their social flexibility. They can assess the environment and behave in an appropriate manner. Such as using their charm and charisma on demand or connecting through their quiet demeanor.
Here’s the best part, ambiverts can be more insightful in many situations and easily adapt to changing environments. Due to this reason, they are considered to have great well rounded personalities!
Challenges of being an introverted extrovert
Although there are many benefits of being an introverted extrovert, they also face some unique challenges. Introverted extroverts have to be self-aware to behave appropriately among people as either introverts or extroverts without feeling pressured to act in a certain way.
It can be confusing for others to understand the nature of an ambivert. For example, an ambivert may seek some introspective alone time, which can be misperceived as rude by acquaintances who considered them to be extroverted.
Here’s what you can do if you feel overwhelmed with the challenges of being an ambivert
- Firstly, recognize the qualities of introversion or extroversion to become more self-aware.
- Allow yourself to set adequate boundaries and decide if you feel more introverted or extroverted at any given time.
- Spread the information and let others get aware.
As people get more information on the topic, they will be able to accept themselves and others for their unique personalities. A lot of information is now available on different forums such as YouTube, social media forums and online articles.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, an introverted extrovert or an ambivert is a person that displays qualities of both introverts and extroverts. The majority of people lie in the middle of the spectrum and they identify as ambiverts.
There are benefits and challenges associated with being an ambivert just as being any other personality type. Having the right information about your personality will help you harness your energy and use it optimally without feeling overwhelmed.
An environmentalist by education and content creator by choice. I have diverse industry experience in teaching, writing, content creation, and marketing. Currently working as a Bussiness Development Manager at YellowCreatives; providing digital marketing services.
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