Time once again for Long and Short Reviews Wednesday Weekly Blog hop, this time asking ourselves to answer whether we are an introvert or extrovert.
My brother years ago, self-identifying as an introvert and identifying me as an extrovert, explained the difference as being that he recharged by being alone and I recharged by being around others. I’ve always liked that definition. And his identifications weren’t without merit.
But I think we are all more complex than that.
Through much of grade/high school I was probably introverted in the sense of being shy and withdrawn socially. I only found my voice at the end of high school and in college when my family moved to Mississippi and confronted with overt racism, I found that silence = complicity, so I couldn’t stay silent. I would say I’ve acted extroverted since then, but friends/colleagues have noted they can see the introvert within me when we’ve discussed this past.
And since the pandemic, I do find myself happily a homebody a lot of time. Big, crowded events don’t appeal. Indeed, I’ve never liked huge crowds period. And, in the words of my brother, sometimes I just need to be alone to recharge. But it’s also true that being around others can really life my spirits.
So to answer the question are you an introvert or an extrovert, I say yes.
Ramblings 
You might be an ambivert like my spouse who wavers between the two!
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Ooh, that’s a new term for me. Thanks!
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Most of the people i know tend to be extroverts, with a few fitting somewhere in the middle.
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I’m with you in being skeptical about the labels — they’re too reductionist. I only heard of ‘ambivert’ in the last few years when a singer mentioned it in the preface to his song “Alone”. My post is here.
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Interesting answer…I think there’s confusion between being an introvert or extrovert (normally for life, because of the way the brain develops) and learning introvert or extrovert behavior. What you’re describing sounds like being an introvert who learned extrovert behavior more easily than some of us did. Best of both worlds, as long as one has enough quiet time to avoid burnout.
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