Most individuals either classify themselves as introverts or extroverts. But what if there was a middle ground. I recently got talking with a friend who explicitly stated they he was an extrovert. I asked Why? He said he enjoyed hanging with friends, going to events, talking to crowds, meeting people. “But I do some of these things and I don’t consider myself an extrovert” I replied. I hang out with my friends, meet people but most times i just want to relax on my bed and read a book. He asked if I was shy and I said no. Being introverted doesn’t mean I am shy or cannot socialize with people. I just prefer the alternative.
According to an article in Psychology today “Introverts are drained by social encounters and energized by solitary, often creative pursuits. Their disposition is frequently misconstrued as shyness, social phobia or even avoidant personality disorder, but many introverts socialize easily; they just strongly prefer not to”
Most often, behaviour tends to be judged against the ways an extrovert would act. An introvert who prefers solitude to a crowd may be seen as shy or judged to have some kind of social disorder or may be perceived as not being a team player. What many don’t realize is that an extrovert can also be shy.
“There is no such thing as a pure introvert or extrovert. Such a person would be in the lunatic asylum” Carl G. Jung
We may not necessarily belong to one group or the other because introverts or extroverts are the very extremes of a scale. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle.So before you label yourself an introvert or extrovert, be sure to know exactly what you mean!