Introduction
Extroverts and introverts are two ends of the same personality spectrum. Extroverts get their energy from interacting with other people, while introverts prefer to spend more time alone. Both personality types are normal and healthy—there’s no such thing as an “extroverted” brain or “introverted” brain—but it can be hard to communicate with someone who falls on the other side of the coin. Understanding what makes extroverts tick can help you better understand your friends and family members who are introverts (or vice versa), or even help you understand yourself better!
Extroverts are energized by people and wilt or fade when alone.
Extroverts are energized by people and wilt or fade when alone. They often need more breaks from work to recharge their batteries. They’re also more likely to have large social networks, which means they’re always connecting with new people. Introverts are just the opposite—they need time alone to recharge their batteries. They’re much less likely to be socially active, but they may have smaller but deeply intimate groups of friends (or even just one close friend).
They often prefer to talk out their thoughts instead of internalizing them.
Your extrovert may feel like she needs to talk out her thoughts in order to understand them. She might be more comfortable sharing her ideas than keeping them inside. She may even enjoy holding office hours and conducting group discussions, even if she isn’t the one leading it!
If you have an extrovert on your team, then be prepared for a lot of verbal communication happening around you at all times—sometimes when you don’t want it! But don’t worry: that’s just how they are wired.
Their behaviour is often perceived as outgoing or overly talkative.
Extroverts are often perceived as outgoing or overly talkative. They’re also considered to be more sociable than introverts—and more friendly, fun, and lively. In other words, extroverts tend to be the life of the party.
And just how much do you know about them?
Extroverts think out loud.
Extroverts are the first to talk. They’re the first to offer their opinion. Extroverts are more likely to interrupt others and speak up in meetings, while introverts tend to wait for their turn, even if they have an idea or insight that could help the group reach a conclusion faster.
In short, extroverts don’t just think out loud—they do it loudly.
Extroverted people tend to share their thoughts and feelings openly; they enjoy telling others what’s on their minds—and this habit can be both liberating and exhausting for everyone involved. When you’re feeling overwhelmed by your job problem or relationship issue, an extrovert can often help you get some clarity by making sure you talk about it with someone who’s ready and willing to listen (and offer advice).
They crave large amounts of stimulation from the external world.
Extroverts are more easily bored and need to be around people and activities. They get bored if they are alone for too long and need to be doing something, rather than just thinking about things. Many introverts can become bored with too much external stimulation, but not extroverts!
Extroverts tend to be enthusiastic, action-oriented individuals.
There’s a reason that extroverts are the life of the party and introverts tend to be more reserved. Extroverts tend to be enthusiastic, action-oriented individuals who are energized by being around others and engaged in conversation. They’re also more likely than introverts to take risks, be assertive, and act as leaders.
In contrast with their cerebral counterparts—who need quiet time alone before they can become productive—extroverts enjoy having other people around them as they work. When it comes time for brainstorming sessions or group projects, they’re ready to pitch in enthusiastically while their quieter colleagues may struggle with feeling overwhelmed or underappreciated by their peers’ high energy levels (and sometimes overconfidence).
They are likely to enjoy time spent with people and find less reward in time spent alone.
Extroverts are likely to enjoy time spent with people and find less reward in time spent alone. They tend to feel energized by social interaction, while introverts are more drained by such interactions. Extroverts will generally be the life of the party, while introverts may feel like they have no choice but to go along.
Extroverts find comfort in being around others because it allows them to be themselves without feeling judged or scrutinized. They can easily strike up a conversation with anyone who crosses their path; however, this ability may cause some misunderstandings for introverted personalities who do not like talking unless there is something specific they want from their interaction (i.e., buy my product).
They often reach decisions without dwelling on them too long.
Extroverts are quick to make decisions. They don’t see a lot of value in over-analyzing or dwelling on decisions for days, weeks or months at a time. If an extrovert has made up their mind about something, they’re good with it—and they’d rather get on with things than spend time worrying about what could have been.
Extroverts take a more proactive approach to life than introverts do.
Extroverts, who make up about half of the population, are more likely to initiate conversations and offer help. They’re also more likely to be positioned as leaders in the workplace — at least according to one study from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and New York University.
The results of this particular study were somewhat surprising. While extroverts may have an advantage in leadership roles, they don’t necessarily have the upper hand in jobs themselves. In fact, some companies might see introverts as better employees because they tend to be more focused on their work and less easily distracted than their extroverted counterparts.
They are more easily distracted than introverts because they tend to get bored easily if they don’t have external stimulation.
Extroverts are easily distracted because they need external stimuli to keep their attention. Introverts, on the other hand, get bored quickly if they don’t have something to entertain themselves with internally.
This is why extroverts are more likely to get distracted when they’re told not to do something: they’ll start thinking about whether or not it’s okay instead of actually following through with what they were asked. On the other hand, if an introvert is given an assignment that requires no work on their part (like reading a book), then they’ll probably find something else more stimulating than whatever was assigned and get distracted from doing it anyway.
In groups, extroverts gain energy, while introverts expend energy.
Extroverts, by contrast, gain energy from other people. They need to be around others to feel energized. They get their energy from talking and being social. So if you’re an extrovert and you have a team of introverts working for you, it can be hard for them to keep up with the pace at which you want things done.
If that happens—and it’s easy enough for it to happen without us realizing—it’s important not only that we factor in different personality types but also that we give our staff sufficient time alone or away from each other so they can recharge their batteries and re-energize themselves before they start working again!
It’s important to understand what it means to be an extrovert so you can explain it to others
It’s important to understand what it means to be an extrovert so you can explain it to others. If someone says, “Hey! What’s up?” and you say, “Oh, man… I’m so introverted,” that person might think you’re shy or withdrawn—or even antisocial! You don’t want them thinking that about you.
But if someone asks why you’re so talkative and outgoing all the time and you say, “I’m an extrovert,” they might not know what the heck that means—and neither do you. So let’s look into what makes an extrovert tick:
Conclusion
We hope you’ve learned a little bit about the different types of introverts and extroverts. It’s important to understand what it means to be an extrovert so you can explain it to others. Remember, whether or not someone is an introvert or extrovert doesn’t make them better or worse than anyone else—it just means they process information differently!
