So this post was delayed a bunch. I had a lot of writing stuff to do this past week and blog posts got pushed to the side. But here we are with part 2 of my introversion vs. extroversion post. We've talked about the reasons for introversion and extroversion but it isn't an either or dilemma. Its a spectrum.
My college roommate, for instance, falls right in between the two, with only a slight preference for extroversion. I'm much more an introvert but I'm not all the way on that side of the spectrum. I have some extroverted traits as well. So lets look at some characteristics of introverts vs extroverts.
To Party or not to Party?
To an introvert, parties can spell disaster. To an extrovert, they're the ideal night out. Super introverts will balk at the idea of even staying one second at large party. And super extroverts, well, the bigger the better, right? Me personally, I hate any environment where I have to shout to be heard. A crowd is alright for a little while, but only a moderate crowd. And even then, I can only last about two hours. How long can you last at parties? Do you have a limit for how many people you can stand?
Topic of Conversation
I didn't talk about this much in the last post, but a lot of introverts don't like small talk. They're the type of people who like to go deep right away and ditch the formalities of 'weather' and 'work'. This is probably because we have a limited capacity for social interaction, and we like to make our words count. I relate to this part of introversion most definitely. I'm bad at small talk. Do you have the same struggles? Or is small talk a breeze for you because, hey, you can talk all day if you have to?
Adaptation
Extroverts adapt to the world around them while introverts will seek to change that world. Introverts are often times sensitive to changes in location or situation and it can take them longer to adjust. I won't deny, I'm a lover of routine and when someone throws off my routine it takes me a bit to reset. Because I don't like it when I'm not in control. Introverts are more easily stimulated, after all, and therefore more easily thrown off. Extroverts on the other hand are good at rolling with the punches. How do you with adapting? How long does it take you and does sudden change make you uncomfortable?
Stage Fright?
The number one fear in the United States is public speaking, even above death. So I'm sure there are plenty of extroverts who fear getting up in front of a crowd. But, as extroverts have introverted parts of them, I have extroverted parts of me. I've never been afraid of getting up on stage. Maybe its because I've been doing theater since I was three, but speeches never give me crippling anxiety. Its the one aspect of introversion I can absolutely say I don't possess. Does speaking in front of crowd make your palm sweat? Does your heart stutter every time you hear a presentation is in your future? (According to statistics, don't worry, you're not alone)
Friends
Extroverts are great at maintaining a large group of friends. Its just natural for them to extend themselves to multiple groups and be social. They can run in several different circles and never wear out. Introverts on the other hand, we have to choose our friends carefully because we only have so much energy to expend. We're not trying to be anti social, but we wouldn't be good friends if we tried to keep too many. We choose to give our best to a few rather than our average to a bunch. How many friends can you maintain at once? Do you love having several friends or do you prefer just a few?
Maximum Productivity
I hated group projects in school. Lets face it, I was far more productive when I didn't have to deal with other people. And introverts tend to be much better at working alone than in a group. Extroverts on the other hand love bouncing ideas off other people and working together to create a product. How do you fare with group work? Does your heart clench at the thought or does it get you excited?
So, based on these categories, what do you identify as? Where do you fall on the spectrum? The important thing is that neither is better than the other. Introverts and extroverts have different strengths. Its just that society is still figuring out how to best balance these strengths. The important thing is to understand both types. Extroverts should be able to understand that their introverted friends aren't mad at them when they say they don't want to go out. Introverts should understand that their extroverted friends are just trying to connect with small talk.
Thanks for reading! Coming up soon, I'm going to be a judge in Query Kombat, and awesome competition for any querying writers. I swear by contests, since they did well for me when I was in the trenches. Check out the details here:
http://michelle4laughs.blogspot.com/2014/05/query-kombat-2014-announcement.html
And about the other awesome judges here:
http://michelle4laughs.blogspot.com/2014/05/meet-query-kombat-2014-judges.html
Happy writing!
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