JKLTip Do some self reflection on introversion vs extroversion and identify what brings you energy, and what steals energy from you
There’s no one size fits all to intoversion, or extroversion and like many things, taking the best of both worlds really is ideal. Why does it matter? It matters because we draw our best energy, our vibe from operating at a frequency, in the moment that aligns with our level or Introversion, or Extroversion given the context. It can be confusing though. I love being alone. I love being with people. Hmmm… If I dig deeper, it gets worse, or at least more confusing. I love sitting by myself on a porch swing reading a book, an entire book, but I love meeting new people in a coffee shop, and maybe my favourite thing (proving hard to do) is to meet someone brand new and create a project with them. If I’m around large groups for too long I get exhausted, if I am alone for too long I crave conversation. I think what’s happening as I reflect on the personality type of introvert vs extrovert is that there really is no precise method to our madness
Like much of life, personality and social anxiety exists along a continuum, and not a linear one either, maybe more like a constellation. When I think of something like a planning meeting, I picture a board room, ten people we know quite well, having worked together the last few years and we’re discussing what worked, and areas we would like to improve. Do I talk a lot, or am I silent? Hint: There’s no way to truly know. When there is a topic, or particular talking point, or problem to solve, and it is an important discussion, then I am far more likely to be vocal I know that, but I may be silent
So what do we do with this information, with this idea that there is no real definitive way to know if we are an intovert, or an extrovert? If we want to garner energy from our answers, then I think it’s important to a. Self reflect for the sake of learning about ourselves and allowing our subconscious to be supportive of what we learn and b. create a checklist of ways to support our personality needs. We can ask do I like small talk, or rather discussing big ideas? We can have a plan for warming up to social situations. We can gain awareness of what type of people and what environments bring us energy and what drains us. There are many quizzes geared toward determining if we are an introvert, or extrovert, but they can’t possibly take into account the context of life, so the best thing to do is take such quizzes, but add elements of if, and when to make sure we are more specific