According to research by Adam Grant, two-thirds of people don’t strongly identify as introverts or extroverts, AKA ambiverts. And let’s face it: Personality is pretty complex. Personality is defined as traits and patterns in thinking, feeling and behaving that evolve from biological and environmental factors. And that’s not even including temperament, which is separate from personality. “Temperament is the foundation that everything is built upon; it often has strong genetic roots, and is stable over time,” says Alex Dimitriu, MD, double board-certified in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. Temperamental styles include the following:
Activity levelBiological rhythmsSensitivityIntensity of reactionAdaptabilityApproach/withdrawalPersistenceDistractibilityMood
Personality is how nature (our temperament) interacts with nurture (our environment) over time to make us who we are, Dr. Dimitrui explains. While massive changes are rare, personality does change over time, and over the lifespan as we age. Personality traits have often been studied as “The Big Five,” which include: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. An easy mnemonic for personality styles is “OCEAN.” Looking at personality styles, we can see how they are built upon temperament, which operates at a deeper level. “One thing is certain: Your personality traits determine how you interact with and react to the world around you,” says Jennifer R. Wolkin, PhD, Licensed Psychologist and Clinical Neuropsychologist. “This is likely one reason that personality tests are so often sought out—self-awareness about our own personality can inform how to foster and maintain important relationships in our life.” Extroversion and introversion are personality traits on a continuum. If you’re an ambivert you share traits of both. Ambiverts can swing toward one end of the continuum or another depending on their specific goal in and context of any situation, Dr. Wolkin adds. According to Myers Briggs, extroverts and introverts are fairly distinct and likely to remain so over time. Everyone will tend to fall into either camp or the other. According to Myers-Briggs, one preference—for introversion or extroversion—will always be predominant, but people can certainly have some aspects of both, Dr. Dimitriu states. “There are no true ambiverts, but more likely people who in certain circumstances or settings will appear more extroverted or introverted,” Dr. Dimitriu explains. “In my experience, even an extrovert may be tired and appear introverted after a long day of work, or a poor night of sleep. An introvert can celebrate and socialize with coworkers at a party and appear totally into it, but still need time alone to recharge.”
What is an ambivert?
We know there are no such things as a true ambivert—so what does this word mean, exactly? “We are learning more and more that personality traits exist on more of a continuum, making the rigid dichotomy of extrovert and introvert somewhat outdated,” says Dr. Wolkin. “As mentioned, the majority of people do not identify as either extrovert or introvert. Rather, the vast majority of us are ambiverts, which is the name to describe the trait in the middle of said continuum.” Carl Jung introduced the idea of introversion and extroversion in the early 1900s. He held the belief that some people were more energized by the external (extrovert) world and others by the internal world (introverts). Basically, an extrovert is someone who draws their energy from being around people and engaging with them, and an introvert is someone who draws their energy from themselves through quiet reflection. Again, all of this is on a spectrum. An ambivert is someone who has characteristics of both extroversion and introversion, and who sometimes can lean more or less toward one of these depending on the specific context. Research shows that even indicates ambiverts actually have the advantage of being able to adjust their approach as they see fit in any given situation, which possibly allows room for connecting with a wider array of people.
Signs you’re an ambivert
Dr. Wolkin provides a list of signs that you may be an ambivert
You might feel that you just don’t fit in either the extrovert or introvert categoryAlternatively, you might feel like both resonate during different situationsYou communicate well, and you listen wellYou feel comfortable in social settings and value alone time, tooYour energy isn’t drained when you’re alone for extended periods or after a lot of socializingYour energy is equally drained after being alone for extended periods or after a lot of socializingYou feel content with the plans (for example weekend plans) you make because you don’t have very low or very high thresholds for stimulationYou’re a good communicatorYou are sometimes indecisive about what kind of energy you’re craving
Like most things in psychology, nothing is black and white, and most traits will lie somewhere in between. The same is true between the extreme ends of introversion and extroversion, Dr. Dimitriu states. Ambiverts will still have a general preference which will tend to remain constant throughout life. Low energy will almost always push people towards an introverted direction when you just want to be left alone. Ambiverts may lie somewhere in the middle of the spectrum and notice that in some settings or times they may be more introverted or extroverted. Ambiverts would thus exhibit both introverted and extroverted tendencies, but according to the research, a general predisposition for one or the other remains. Ambiverts may ultimately be less polarized versions, than the more clear extroverted or introverted personalities. Dr. Dimitriu explains that ambiverts may find they experience both of these extremes:
Ambivert test
Both Dr. Wolkin and Dr. Dimitriu recommend this ambivert “test.” See how many you check off the list!
I like, value and need alone time, but an entire weekend alone would make me restless and feel like I’m missing out.I will be quiet and listen if someone else is talking, and if someone is quiet and listening, I will be the one talking more.I enjoy having conversations with others, but I can do without small-talk.I can be a good team player at work, but I also want time to work independently.I sometimes process my feelings out loud with others, and at other times I process them internally.I like to do things so that I’m not bored, but I also need to take breaks from doing things.I sometimes don’t know if I should stay home to read a book, or go out to see friends.I can sometimes recharge by being alone as well as being with friendsI can sometimes prefer working alone as well as working with a group of peopleI can crave social situations, but can also sometimes avoid themI prefer to meet new people, but also enjoy time with a close friendI can be both an outgoing person, and also reserved and reflective sometimesI sometimes act too fast before thinking, and other times, think too much without acting.
Next, read 250 deep questions to ask anyone you want to get to know better
Sources
Psychological Science: “Rethinking the Extraverted Sales Ideal: The Ambivert Advantage”American Psychological Association: “Personality”Jennifer R. Wolkin, PhD, Licensed Psychologist and Clinical NeuropsychologistAlex Dimitriu, MD, double board-certified in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine
