You May Not Be An Introvert or An Extrovert (and a quiz!)

Do you ever feel confused about whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert? Perhaps one Friday you can’t wait to go out with friends and meet new people at a bar, but the next, nothing sounds better than staying in with a glass of wine and spending time alone. Does this sound familiar? If so, you may be may an ambivert.

What exactly is an ambivert? Simply put, it means that you have both introverted and extroverted tendencies. While this may not sound familiar to you or feels wrong to go against “the norm”, as many as two thirds of us may fall into this category of ambivert, so you are definitely are not alone!

While we’ve heard the terms “introvert” and “extrovert” our entire lives—and been encouraged to identify as one or the other—being an ambivert has tons of benefits. Here’s why: As Adam Grant, organizational psychologist and author of Originals, explains in his journal titled “Rethinking the Extraverted Sales Ideal“, Ambiverts achieve greater sales productivity than extraverts or introverts do. Because they naturally engage in a flexible pattern of talking and listening, ambiverts are likely to express sufficient assertiveness and enthusiasm to persuade and close a sale but are more inclined to listen to customers’ interests and less vulnerable to appearing too excited or overconfident.”

To build on that, ambiverts also tend to adapt well in non-professional settings. Because they feel comfortable in so many different environments (large groups, small groups, with one other person, or alone), ambiverts can adjust to different situations easier than introverts or extroverts—and excel in all.

So, for those of us who have always felt pressured and confused about whether we should identify as one of two personality types, embrace being both! Going forward, let’s fully accept being an ambivert and reap the benefits of being a little bit of both personality types.

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Interested to know if you’re an ambivert? (I know I was.) Take this quiz, created by Daniel Pink, the author of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing and find out! (As expected, I am!)

Be sure to share your results below and let me know if you agree with your personality type!

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