10 Signs You’re An Ambivert (Neither An Introvert Nor An Extrovert)

You must have been asked this question many times in your life – Are you an Introvert or an Extrovert? But what about the signs of being an Ambivert?

For some people, it is easy to choose between the two but for the majority of us, it is difficult to choose one way or the other.

Personality traits exist on a continuum and most of us aren’t introverts or extroverts –we fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum.

According to a study conducted by Adam Grant in The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, two – thirds of people were Ambiverts – who had both introverted and extroverted tendencies.

Let’s consider Introversion and Extroversion as a spectrum, where Ambiversion lies in the middle.

Ambiverts have a unique advantage over Introverts or extroverts because they have traits of both Introversion and extroversion and they can adjust their approach based on the situation.

Another interesting myth that was busted during Grant’s study was that Extroverts are good salespeople.

His study proved that ambiverts’ greater social flexibility helped them to outsell other groups, moving 51% more product per hour than the average salesperson.

Here Are 10 Signs You’re An Ambivert

1. You have the traits of both Introversion and Extroversion.

The terms introversion and Extroversion were popularized by Carl Jung. Extroverts gain their energy by being around people, they are outgoing, love being the life of a party and like to talk things out.

Introverts gain their energy by spending more time alone; they prefer intimate conversation to large social set up and prefer to think things through instead of talking out.

Do you feel that you identify with the traits on both sides of the spectrum? Then you’re Ambivert.

According to Paulette Kouffman Sherman, Psy.D, psychologist and author of The Book of Sacred Baths, if you‘re an Ambivert, you’re emotionally flexible.

“Ambiverts can get energy from being with people and from being alone and they can be self-reflective in situations and also work things through by talking with others,” explains Sherman.

2. You like social gatherings as much as you crave alone time.

Sometimes you are outgoing and like spending time with people but sometimes it completely exhausts you.

You go through phases wherein you want to go out and spend time with people and phases wherein you want to retire in your zone to recharge yourself.

The trick is to grow your self-awareness and plan your activities in such a way that you enjoy both ends of the spectrum – being alone and being social and engaging in outdoor activities.

3. You are productive in both solo and group work assignments.

If you are an Ambivert, you are pretty flexible and can work well in both solo and group work assignments.

“This is because ambiverts can draw on extroverted traits while they’re in group settings, feeding off the energy and creativity, facilitating conversations and amping up the brainstorming, and they can also back off and give airtime to others in the group without having to take over,” explains Grant Brenner, MD, a Manhattan-based psychiatrist and “When they are working alone, they can use their introverted traits to buckle down and dig deep, pulling the assignment together with the group in mind,” adds Dr. Brenner.

4. You are an excellent communicator.

Ambiverts can enjoy small talk with a stranger as much as they enjoy deep and philosophical conversations. They are very intuitive and can gauge when it’s appropriate to speak and when they should listen.

Because they have traits of both extroversion and introversion they can express their ideas very well and also know to be a good listener and hence they make excellent communicators.

5. You can blend with a range of different personalities.

Since they have traits of both introversion and extroversion; they can get along easily with both introverts and extroverts.

They can blend in and adapt themselves according to who they are with.

6. You’re comfortable in most of the environments.

Ambiverts can thrive in both stimulating and non-stimulating environments.

They can enjoy yoga or walk in the park as much as they can enjoy a concert or a party.

“Because they gain energy both from spending time with others and from alone time, most situations and environments can suit them,” Dr. Brenner says. “They are flexible, which can help them to speak to crowds and spend time alone in a work setting in front of a computer researching or writing.”

7. You can be indecisive and unpredictable.

Since you enjoy both alone time and spending time with people, sometimes you might just get confused and become indecisive as to what you want to do. Sometimes you might not be able to decide whether you should just sit at home and read a book or you should go out and catch up with friends because both look equally exciting.

At other times, you might get stuck in a situation that does not suit your mood.

“When you find yourself in a social situation that you’re not in the mood for, you might become irritable or unusually quiet,” says Brenner. “Or, you may find yourself completely bored when you’re alone at home, even though you know in the back of your mind there’s a book you’ve been meaning to read forever or a project you have to do.”

8. You have a love-hate relationship with social media.

If you are an Ambivert, then you have a love-hate relationship with the social media.

A part of you wants to stay in touch with people and seeks stimulation while a part of you seeks alone time and is indifferent to social media.

9. Your friends come to you for advice.

Since you have the traits of both Introversion and extroversion, your wisdom and balance attract your friends to you for advice.

They know that you can be a good listener and also make your point if need be and they seek out your balanced and neutral perspective to solve their problems.

Related: 10 Key Traits Of An Ambivert

10. You’ve great entrepreneurial qualities.

The Wharton’s study has proved that Ambiverts and not Extroverts excel at sales.

Also, if you are an Ambivert you can be a great leader because you can relate to both your introverted and extroverted co-workers with ease.

You have a calm and balanced approach with the right blend of assertiveness and enthusiasm that makes people respect you and follow your lead.

If you want to know more about the signs of an ambivert, then check this video out below: