Introversion and extroversion are personality theories used to explain why people behave in certain ways. Extroversion is defined as "the quality of being outgoing and directing attention to things other than yourself," while introversion is defined as "the state of or tendency toward being wholly or predominantly concerned with and interested in one's own mental life." Extroverts tend to get energy from being around other people while introverts tend to get energy by being alone. Which one are you?
Introversion: It's often difficult to admit to yourself that you may be an introvert because nowadays, when people think of introverts, they (wrongly) assume that they are people who don’t like people. That's not the case! Introverts can be warm, interested in others, and powerful in their own right. Here's some signs that you might be an introvert:
When you have free time, you'd rather spend it on your own. This could mean reading a new book or listening to music. This alone time is important for your well-being but that doesn't mean you don't occasionally enjoy social get-togethers.
Introverts don't tend to volunteer in public situations and it's likely that they won't volunteer their opinions either. People high in introversion will keep their views to themselves and let the noisy extroverts take control.
As an introvert, you're not really seeking a great deal of contact with others. Years ago, if you wanted to avoid interacting with strangers, you would keep your head down and look straight in front of you. Now, you're able to hide behind the protection of your headphones. Who says the music even has to be on?
If you see somebody who seems upset about something, you'd rather stay clear from that person. Introverts are more sensitive to potential negative evaluations, so hanging out with someone who's in a bad mood doesn't make sense!
Being an introvert doesn't mean that you talk to yourself all day. It just means that you don't usually reach out to your social circles. Instead, you just react to the communications that you get from others. That's why you have more calls/texts/emails than you even send.
Extroversion: If that didn't sound anything like you, you might be an extrovert. Here are some signs that point to that:
Not only do you enjoy talking to friends, family members, and co-workers, you also love to strike up conversations with total strangers. Meeting people and learning about their lives is one of your favorite things to do. Extroverts tend to have a wide circle of friends.
For extroverts, social interactions are refreshing and they actually gain energy from such exchanges. When you have to spend time alone, you often begin to feel uninspired. If given a choice between spending time alone and spending time with other people, an extrovert will almost always choose to spend time with a group.
Extroverts are usually very open to sharing their thoughts and feelings. People find it really easy to get to know you and think you're super friendly.
Whenever you encounter a problem, you solve it by discussing it. Talking about it helps you explore the issue in depth and figure out which option might work best.
So, which one are you? Keep in mind that this isn't an all or nothing thing. You could very well be an Ambivert, a person whose personality has a balance of extrovert and introvert features.