Are you an Introvert, Extrovert or Ambivert and how to recharge your energy?
We often think about ourselves as being either introverts or extroverts, but in reallity we all are somewhere on the spectrum.
It is considered that ambiverts are up to 68% of population. Ambiverts are people who are more in the middle of the introversion and extroversion spectrum.
The truth is that noone is just one or the other, but it is helpful for ourselves to know where we fall on that spectrum to know how to manage our energy. And especially important to help us to understand ourselves and our needs.
This is a wee quiz you can take to give you a bit more idea on where you fall on this spectrum.
These questions are slightly generlised in order to get more accurate typing.
Don’t worry if you don’t seem to fit any of the options exactly, just pick the one which is the closest to what you would normally do or feel like doing.
Quiz
1. Your favourite way to spend evening after long day at work:
A – alone at home with favourite book
B – meeting a friend short coffee or chilling at home
C – going out to a party or catching up with friends
2. You are at a party, what would be your ideal scenario?
A – leave as soon as I can, or find a quiet spot and read a book or explore the garden
B – engage in the conversations with people I know and/or find interesting, but leave after some time
C – talk to as many people as possible and stay till the end
3. You have to make a public speech at work, how do you feel?
A – I am absolutely terrified; I am asking my boss if there is anyone else who could do it
B – I am very nervous; but I know I can do it if I prepare for it and want to push myself to do it
C – I am very excited; I love speaking to people and it makes me feel inspired
4. You are in a group of five people you don’t know, who are having a vivid conversation, what is your approach:
A – You stay aside taking in everything that is being said, feeling you don’t know how to join in, nor do you feel like you want to
B – You are analysing the subject and considering if you have anything valuable to add, and the next moment you are part of the vivid conversation
C – You are in the centre of the conversation, feeling very comfortable monopolising the subjects and people’s attention
5. How many friends do you have?
A – Only very few best friends
B – Few best friends and few more of close friends
C – More than I can count, everyone is my friend!
6. What’s your ideal weekend to feel most energized?
A – You had a nice quiet weekend mostly yourself or with your close ones, reading, spending time by yourself or doing your favourite solitary hobby
B – You catch up with one of your close friends or going for a while to a party, but then after spending most of the time home with your favourite book, game, movie or hobby
C – You went out on most of the nights, seen few friends and joined new group activity or club
7. People often describe you as:
A – Quiet or shy, hard to get to know, soft-spoken, reserved, a loner
B – It depends either sociable and talkative or reserved and thoughtful
C – Friendly, outgoing, sociable, confident, optimistic and enthusiastic
8. What would be your choice of hobbies?
A – Reading, creative arts, crafts, gardening, walking, video or board games, swimming, hiking, jogging,
B – Reading, gardening, crafts, hiking, small yoga or dancing class, clubbing, aerobics class
C – Clubbing, competitive team sports, group yoga or dancing, white water rafting, poker night, rock climbing, gambling
9. You preferred way of communication, especially at work but not exclusive:
A – Emails, text messages, direct messages
B – Emails or texts, then a quick phone call
C – Phone calls, video calls, conversation, group chats
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Calculation:
Understanding whether you are more introverted, extroverted or an ambivert will help you to understand where your energy is coming from, and ultimately where it is being expended.
No one person is clearly extroverted or introverted, and that’s why we are all on the spectrum of introversion & extroversion and no one person is the same. These results below are here to help you identify where you are on the spectrum in order to understand yourself better and therefore understand how your energy is being spent and recharged.
Also, some of the latest research on ambiversion suggests adaptivity of personality traits and the impact of our beliefs and mindset on our behaviour being expressed in either introverted and extroverted way.
In simple language that indicates that those traits can be changed throughout life. We can be more extroverted and than become more introverted and vice versa.
Whatever result you get it does not define you but it’s a step towards self-understanding.
‘There is no such thing as a pure introvert or extrovert. Such a person would be in the lunatic asylum.’ –Carl G. Jung
Your Result:
Most As or mix of As and Bs – Introvert
Most Bs or mixed – Ambivert
Most Cs or mix of Cs and Bs – Extrovert
Introvert
Congratulations you are an Introvert!
25 to 40% of the population is introverted, that means 1 in 3 people you know are introverted. *
You rarely get bored and always find something interesting to do with yourself. And you are a fairly creative individual.
You might be perceived as a quiet person and introspective. You work best when left alone and given space to work independently. You also learn best by observing.
You are inward-looking, your focus is on your internal thoughts and feelings as opposed to external stimulation.
Your Energy
You regain your energy by being by yourself and solitude which you enjoy. Being deeply engaged in activity of your interest also energises you.
You will lose or spend your energy quickly in social situations. It doesn’t necessarily mean you are shy or don’t like people, but more that you need more alone time to recharge your batteries and regain your energy.
When you try to go against your nature and temperament, keeping up with more sociable and outgoing friends or family you often feel drained.
The Environment
Introversion is preference for environments which are not overstimulating, hence being alone.
Introverts respond differently to social stimulation, which they need much less of than extroverts.
Physically your brain’s reticular activating system (RAS) is more active and your natural rate of arousal is higher compared to someone who is more extroverted. Because of that you get tired quicker with a variety of stimulants as your brain is regularly taking in more information.
All it means is that you need less stimulation to feel aroused.
The most important aspect for you of managing your energy as an introvert is to realise where you get drained, and where you get recharged. We are all on the spectrum of introversion and extroversion and just because you are introvert does not mean that every characteristic of introversion will be applicable to you and your life.
Observe yourself in groups of people
Do you feel exhausted quickly when in groups?
Or maybe only if those are groups of people you don’t know?
Even more, maybe you enjoy being in a group but only up to an hour or two.
This is just an example. Now that you know the general characteristics of introversion you can try to be more mindful of yourself and experiment with your threshold for different stimulants.
It does not matter if you need half week on your own to feel great or every second evening.
Our energy gets rebuilt when we understand ourselves without judgement or social pressure of how someone else thinks you are supposed to behave.
In most humans the energy resource comes from having deeper understanding who we are. Introverts often need to regain the understanding of who they are by being alone, they firsthand learn and reassure themselves about who they are and that helps them to understand others.
– If you feel that many of the introversion descriptions fit you, it is worth exploring if you might be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). HSP are about 20% of the population and 70% of HSPs are in fact introverts.
Ambivert
Congratulations, you are an Ambivert!
Ambiverts are estimated to be between half to two thirds of the world’s population.*
Ambiverts are considered to have the best of the two worlds. But possibly have it harder to figure out their thresholds of arousal, or you might be able to get to it from both alone and social activities. In the end to reach the ultimate point of arousal in which we all feel our best.
You are somewhere in the middle of the introvert-extrovert spectrum.
You may enjoy social situations but you also have your limit and they still can drain you. Or you can go into social situations, enjoy them but you equally enjoy being alone and can recharge in either way.
You know when to talk and you also know when it is best to listen.
You may act more like an extrovert when in social situations or with people, but when you are alone you seem to be like an introvert.
Most likely many people assume you are extrovert because of your ability to adapt and be more extroverted, sociable and talkative when with people.
You equally can enjoy the weekend by yourself doing your favourite hobby or reading books.
Ambiverts are considered much better fit for sales than extroverts or introverts. Mostly because you are capable of deep listening to people needs and wants while also not being too quiet to speak up. A typical blend of the introversion and extroversion traits..
We are all on the spectrum of introversion and extroversion and even as ambiverts you will have differences between yourself and other ambiverts.
While having the best of two words you also have a bit more figuring out to do.
What you need to do in order to understand where your energy comes from and where it goes is to be slightly more experimenting and observant of yourself and your energy.
Many ambiverts enjoy being in groups, parties or in social situations, but your energy drains quickly, or after some time you need to be alone to recharge.
Sometimes you might not be sure what helps you to recharge.
It might be useful to read the description of introverts and extroverts and ask yourself which of the characteristics fits you best.
Understanding yourself is the main step in understanding how your energy is being expended.
Because of the balanced preferences and flexibility of natural interactions it is important for ambiverts more than others to understand their own optimal level of stimulation and what helps you to regain your energy.
The most important aspect for you in managing your energy is to be mindful of the situations in your life that are recharging or draining your energy.
We all are on the spectrum of introversion and extroversion. Just because you are an ambivert does not mean that all the characteristics will fit you.
Observe yourself in social situations
Does being alone for a day, two or a weekend drains you?
How big groups do you enjoy?
Do you feel more energised while chatting with a larger group of friends, while enjoying a group activity or when spending weeknd at home with your favourite book?
Do you enjoy some solo activities or do you gain more pleasure and enjoyment from activities done with other people?
These are examples of questions you can ask yourself to start to uncover where your energy gets drained and where your energy recharges. Therefore you can manage your life in a way which ensures you recharge your batteries before they are completely drained.
While being in the middle and having the best of two words can have many positives. It makes it harder to have an easier outline of where you are in the spectrum or introversion and extroversion.
- Here are a few other names and options worth exploring: you might be sociable introvert, contemplative extrovert or Highly Sensitive extrovert.
Extrovert
Congratulations you are an Extrovert!
Some of the research suggests that up to 60% of the population is extroverted.*
You regain energy by being around people. Being part of a group will re-energize you and group activities are something you love.
You work best in a group environment, under pressure and your ideas clarify best through group activities such talking or brainstorming.
At work you also love group gatherings and team work, very likely your are assertive and people often comment that you are sociable and confident.
You enjoy large crowds and feel inspired, excited and energetic around people.
You love adventure and high-risk activity as well as excitement and novel stimulation. You make quick decisions and can speak a lot and your favourite way of communication is talking.
You also can get bored quite quickly and always look for the next thrilling thing to do.
You tend to have a positive outlook on life and be cheerful.
You may find it interesting to be alone, but you feel drained after some time and need contact with people to recharge. As well being alone for too long may make you feel isolated.
You learn best by doing something. And gain inspiration and ideas by talking with other people.
As an extrovert your rate of arousal is lower, therefore you get recharged when you are exposed to a great variety of stimulants. All it means is that you need more stimulation to feel aroused. And to reach the ultimate point of arousal in which we all feel our best.
The most important aspect for you in managing your energy is to be mindful of the situations in your life that are recharging or draining your energy.
We all are on the spectrum of introversion and extroversion. Just because you are an extrovert does not mean that all the characteristics will fit you.
Observe yourself in social situations
Does being alone for a day, two or a weekend drains you?
How big groups do you enjoy?
Do you feel more energised while chatting with a larger group of friends or while enjoying a group activity?
Do you enjoy some solo activities or do you gain more pleasure and enjoyment from activities done in groups?
These are examples of questions you can ask yourself to start to uncover where your energy gets drained and where your energy recharges. Then you can manage your life in a way which ensures you recharge your batteries before they are completely drained.
Understanding yourself.
Extroverts on the other hand similarly need the understanding of themselves in order to regain their own energy. But they process who they are by being around other people.
Being in groups help them look at others and those people reflect back to them. Like mirrors help them to have better glims on themselves. Therefore they need the company of other people to recharge and reconnect with the understanding of who they are on energetical level.
Notes:
* It is hard to exactly estimate the ratio of extroverts to introverts and ambiverts. Some research suggests that about 60% of the population is extroverted and about 20% to 40% is introverted.
The latest research suggests that about 68% of society is ambivert. The gross overestimation of the number of extroverts can be linked to the fact that many people who are introverted act extroverted in social situations as that can be seen as the ‘desirable’ way of behaving.
Also, that number can be high because ambiverts might be perceived also as extroverts because they tend to be more extroverted in social situations while being more introverted when alone.
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Arleta BW
Arleta is an IIN Certified Health Coach, UK Qualifi Certified Coach, Theta Healing Certified Practitioner, and Gut Health & Nutrition Specialist. After working with many diverse clients & healing herself, she's realized that everyone’s body & needs are unique and there is no one-size-fits all solution. Arleta is dedicated to sharing her knowledge and skills with others who are struggling with the same issues she has faced so they can tune into their own intuition and find the peace, health, and energy they need to live the life they really want as well.
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