Not an Introvert, Not an Extrovert? You May Be an Ambivert

Do you enjoy your alone time, sometimes even avoiding people you know—pretending not to see them—in order to avoid small talk? But are you also very friendly and able to meet people and start up conversations with strangers almost everywhere you go?

The personality traits of introversion and extroversion fall on a spectrum, and most researchers in the past have focused on the two ends. But now, experts are beginning to look at those who fall smack in the middle—ambiversion.

RELATED: Do you have an over-40 personality type? Take the quiz to find out

Introverts are those who become energized internally, and prefer to spend time alone, with one other person or with a small group. They feel drained by a lot of social interaction or a crowd. They gather their thoughts carefully before they speak.

Extroverts, on the other end of the spectrum, become energized externally, and love to have lots of people around them and to be the center of attention. They enjoy brainstorming with others and often form their thoughts as they speak. When by themselves, they easily become bored or restless.

Ambiverts have introverted and extroverted traits, but neither trait is dominant. As a result, they have more balanced, or nuanced, personalities. Ambiverts move between being social or being solitary, speaking up or listening carefully with greater ease than either extroverts or introverts.

Speaker, author and coach Beth Buelow describes typical behaviors of extroverts, introverts and ambiverts:

RELATED: You are always being judged by others. Here’s how.

The Extrovert:
• Energized by external stimulation—with people, environment, activity
• Processes thoughts while talking
• Motivated by external rewards, recognition and feedback
• Outgoing—easy to get to know

The Introvert:
• Energized internally, while being alone
• Craves solitude to balance out social time
• Speaks only when they have something to say
• Thinks before speaking, processing thoughts internally

The Ambivert
• Socially flexible—comfortable in social situations or being alone.
• Skilled at communicating—intuits when to listen or to talk.
• Moderate in mood—not overly expressive or reserved.
• Adaptable—no default mode, so they change their approach to fit the situation

A recent study found that the social and emotional flexibility ambiverts made them superior sales people. Participants in the study (340 outbound call-center representatives) filled out a personality test, then the researcher assessed each person’s sales revenue for the next three months, controlling for other variables. The employees with the highest revenue per hour—an average of $208, compared with $138 for the full sample—were ambiverts who had a personality test score exactly between extroversion and introversion.

“Ambiverts are like Goldilocks—they offer neither too much nor too little,” says Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist and professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He believes this emotional acuity gives ambiverts unique skills in parenting and marriage as well.

RELATED: How to keep desire alive and avoid a sexless marriage

Grant cautions that ambiverts should try not to get stuck in either an introvert or extrovert role. Ambiverts should remain nimble. Also, sticking with one or the other tendency too long might leave an ambivert drained. The warning signs will be boredom or burnout.

Dr. Grant recommends “unleashing your inner ambivert … Read each situation more carefully and ask yourself, ‘What do I need to do right now to be most happy or successful?’”

Curated Article from The Wall Street Journal