If you believe that you have an ambivert personality, you will probably identify with the traits on this list.

There is plenty of information available detailing the good and the bad sides of being either an introvert or an extrovert. But what if you don’t identify with either of these personality types? If you find you are a mixture of both traits, you probably have an ambivert personality.

The following are a few things only ambiverts will understand:

1. We can’t decide if we are truly introverts or extroverts and that can be confusing

Our extrovert friends are all about the parties, socializing, and being with people. They seem to draw energy from just being around others and never tire of it. The thing is, ambiverts feel like that too – except when we don’t.

After a period of socializing, ambiverts, just like introverts, need to have some time alone time to recharge our batteries. The thing that makes them different from both our introverted and extroverted friends is that sometimes we draw energy from being with others and sometimes we recharge by spending time alone – and we need both.

If we have too much alone time we can get lonely, restless, and drained, and hanker after company once more. Having an ambivert personality can be confusing as you are never quite sure how you will feel at any given time. The only way around this is to plan a mixture of social and alone time and then adjust that schedule according to the mood of the day.

2. We are able to relate to nearly everyone

An ambivert personality gets along so well with both introverts and extroverts that we have no trouble making friends. The thing is, we can relate to both ways of being and are happy with our sociable friends and completely understanding of introverts’ need for time alone. The downside of this is that we often don’t receive quite the same understanding back.

Our extroverted friends just don’t understand that yesterday we were the life and soul of the party and now we just want to be alone – and some of them can take the apparent change in behavior personally. In the same way, the introverted friend who enjoys quite a time with their ambivert friend can’t understand how he likes to party so much.

3. We can get shy

When we are surrounded by friends, us ambiverts can be very talkative, loud and outgoing. However, we often find it difficult to show this extroverted side when we are with people we know less well. We can be shy and nervous around people we don’t know well. People can be confused by this apparent change in personality and may think there is something wrong.

4. Our activity levels change constantly

Because there are two sides to our personality, we can have clear spikes and lulls in our activity levels. Some of our weeks may be full of activity, meet-ups, phone calls, messages, and nights out. But then there is a lull, a few days when we just want to stay home alone and work on a project, watch TV or read.

We find it hard to interact with others at times like this and friends may wonder why we don’t take their calls, answer their messages or say yes to a night out.

5. We are often confused about what we want

Because of these changing energy levels and different moods, we often struggle to decide what we really want. This can be confusing for our friends as we seem to change our minds a lot and can seem like a different person from moment to moment.

It’s best to be honest with our friends and not make excuses – eventually, they will come to realize that it’s just the way we are and they will accept our changes in energy and mood without being hurt or frustrated by it.

6. We like to talk but not for the sake of it

Ambiverts can talk about many subjects as loudly and as enthusiastically as the next person, but we hate small talk. When around people with similar interests, we can get involved in long animated discussions about the things we love.

However, with people we know less well, we struggle because many conversation starters, such as talking about work, family, or the weather are unbearable for ambiverts – we don’t want to skim the surface of social interactions we want to go deeper.

7. Relationships can be difficult for us

It can be a challenge for friends to adapt to the different sides of an ambivert personality and it can be even more problematic in a relationship. We switch between wanting nothing more than to be left alone to being desperate to socialize with others.

In a romantic partnership, this can be difficult to negotiate. To potential partners, it may seem that an ambivert switches from loving and sociable to quiet and distant in the blink of an eye.

This personality type may also want to cancel arrangements at short notice because of a change in mood. As ambiverts, we may need to come to a compromise and realize that we can’t let down our significant other just because we are not in the mood. But we must also be honest and explain that we need a balance of social and alone time in our lives.

If you have an ambivert personality, let us know your thoughts about this article in the comments below!


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This Post Has 25 Comments

  1. isha

    Kirstie,
    i really find your article very interesting
    its just describing me!(this the social side of me speaking)

  2. Nanci

    I can totally identify with everything written here and now I know what it’s called, too. And I’m OK, I guess, just the way I am. I always thought I was just moody and so does everyone who knows me. But it certainly goes way deeper than that. Everything said here is ME.

  3. Irma González

    This blog is wonderful! I find myself doing just that and yes my parents have told me that i do not get along well with society and that something HAS to be wrong with me. So for my health’s and sane mind’s sake, I keep quiet BUT reject that statement in my soul. What hurts is that society as a whole is so naive about this topic that i can boldly say that many ambiverts are being misdiagnosed by mental institutions. You can a sane ambivert with true psychopath and that ambivert eill become defiled and misunderstood. We’re so receptive to people’s energies. We love and hope so much. I love being an ambivert and now I will work on how to embrace this unique trait in me and other innies and ambies so that none of us enter into depression for not being extroverted all the time and being preys for psychopaths.

  4. Debra

    I’ve only just discovered that being an ambivert is a thing and I am so relieved. It totally explains why I am perfectly happy to have one or two quality conversations a day – and then spend the rest of the day in contented solitude. Thank you

  5. BOBBI JONES

    Well, I never heard the term, “ambivert” before but it was shockingly accurate in describing my personality! I think what is the most salient feature of being ambivert, is that we are almost always misunderstood.

  6. Kani

    Just the simple truth

  7. Otto Bhan

    Thanks for the article and well stated truth. Hooray ambiverts.

  8. Ken Long

    I almost passed this one by, mostly because I have seen so many of these introvert articles that they become redundant, but this was dead on accurate.

  9. Charmaine

    Thats so true,we are so misunderstood and its kinda hard being us “ambiverts” it rocks at the same time.Now i understand why i might be okay with something today & tomorrow i wont be.

  10. Robert

    I never knew what Ambivert was until I read this article. This fits me to a T. Not saying its a bad thing, but I wonder if there is any help for this? like the indecision thing.

  11. Mona

    Wow I just found a name for my personality !

  12. Saul

    Well this makes alot of since.

  13. Naomie

    I never knew there was the ambivert personality. I thought there was only introvert and extrovert..and I’m really glad that now I can understand my personality… And it’s very hard being and ambivert person. Especially the constant mood swings.

  14. Ambrose

    Perfect description indeed…..fits well. I usually settle within the introverted side of ‘ambivert’…the left part of middle….but when I swing into extroverting, it is quite extreme like wild bursts of socializing but very short lived….I cannot remain extroverted for long before I must run back into my primary shell. I am an extreme introvert often and way more often than extrovert….but most of the time I am on that low end of being an ambivert or left-center you could say. Your article was very insightful 🙂

  15. Dani

    This is the answer I didn’t know i was looking for! The duality of my personality has always confused me.
    Thank you!

  16. Crystal

    Yep, it’s me. When someone invites me out, I have to battle within me or to stay and enjoy time alone 😁

  17. Joshua Michel

    Wow. Thanks so much. I always Thought I was just this weird combination of introvert and extrovert which kind of confused most people. One minute I would be Chilling and socializing with friends, and next minute want everyone out of my room just to sit and stare out the window. Now I know it’s just my personality type and not some kind of typo in my DNA :-). Thanks.

  18. Elvis Frank

    This is totally correct, i’ve always felt like i didn’t belong to anyside…some days i feel like a rockstar and someother time i just need some alone time…i tend to draw energy whenever i’m with either of the both sides…the truth is that no one does really understand me but me.

  19. JAN

    This is so true, I could never classify myself as fully extroverted or fully introverted before. Now I don’t have to!

  20. Pheiva

    This is just amazing, now I can classify myself. I can totally relate to this. I just wish my friends could see this and understand me better. Thank you Kristie.

  21. chris

    Wow! Okay, this article was totally mind-blowing. Most of the things written here describe me sooo well! I enjoyed reading this because it gave me a good understanding about myself because i always wondered, in comparing to others, what is wrong with me.. but now i know there is nothibg wrong with me, this is just a regular personality. Thank you so much! 🙂

  22. nunyabusiness2649

    This is amazing. It describes me perfectly. With my friends I’m a social butterfly but with others I just don’t talk. I also have internal battles on whether or not i want to go out and enjoy some new experience, or whether or not I want to stay comfortable in my room. XD

  23. Mapot menap

    Like the other comments this enlighten me on who is me! Coz I am really confuse who Am I,Having read this helps me a lot.That I am NORMAL!!Like anyone else and even more stable them!! Thank you so much

  24. Mwa

    Oh gosh! You couldn’t have described me to the dot! My friends get me but people who just get to know me sometimes wonder if I’m okay and I couldn’t really explain to them but this helps a lot and I feel better and will be more sensitive to introverts and extroverts. Thank you so much!

  25. Bigviewsmallwindow

    Haha, before finding this quiz I thought about how I want to hang out with people sometimes but the last time someone called me I didn’t answer. I enjoy my peeps but sometimes, my own company is just better. I am sure my friends think I am a mess for “disappearing” and reappearing but I know there is nothing wrong with me!

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