Introvert vs. Extrovert vs. Ambivert

I think if someone identifies as an ambivert, then that's them. They know themselves better than anyone else. It's not like personality theory is a hard science.

People saying that you can't be an ambivert annoys me. I've heard the same bullshit about bisexuality, about switches in the BDSM community, about political centrism. Again, they know themselves better than anyone else. And so telling them that they can't be an ambivert is gaslighting bullshit.
 
Icedream said:
Why couldn't you be a switch?
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Some bull about how it doesn't make sense personality wise. How you can't like two different things.

Just nonsense, put out their by idiots without the ability to see a perspective different than their own.
 
My second-born daughter is ambidextrous from birth. I disagree that having well-developed Fe makes one ambidextrous. I also disagree that there is such thing as an ambivert. Of course, I don't know everything. It just seems to me that "Ambivert" implies one has both an 'arctic' and 'tropical' self-climate. I don't see that.

Back when I was young, I would go dancing every other friday night. I'd stay out till 4 in the morning or so. I'd leave the dancing around midnight, go to a downtown pizza place, hang-out with 40-50 people in my social circle, and then, go home. I'm an extreme introvert, yet, even I made bi-monthly appearances among my social group. I need so much to use my Fe, that I would associate with people of my religious affiliation twice a month away from a religious setting. I come from a long-line of Priests. And I too am a Priest. A Priest who believes in marriage. And so, I hung-out with lots of singles with ideologies similar to my own, because I sought to find a wife.

I guess, my point is, I seemed to all that I was very strongly an extrovert. Yet, when I traveled home after all the partying, I was exhausted. I had a very hard-time recovering from the experience, even though I loved every moment of it. It wasn't till many years later, and my wife and I were married for about 14 years so far, that I even heard of MBTI. Today, my wife and I have been married now for 18 years and counting! Anyway, I need to Fe on a regular basis or I go nuts! But, I can't imagine how having an arctic and tropical self-climate is possible. I just don't think it is possible.

VH, Ambiversion? No, I doubt it exists. VH, if you believe that it does exist, will you please explain in rational, MBTI terms how this could conceivably exist. I know for a fact I am an extreme introvert--even my wife and kids say I'm a hermit. Still, I am curious, VH, how would Ambiversion actually work?

~Bas
sovereign[dot]bas[at]gmail[dot]com
 
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@Bas iirc, VH hasn't been here in ages. So I'm taking the liberty of writing down a short explanation.

If you consider introversion and extroversion as a scale which describes energy expenditure and the ability to retain it, it's very much possible to describe a section in the middle of that scale which may be denoted "ambiversion".

It's not necessarily or exclusively an MBTI term, but depending on your definitions it can be incorporated into different theories. I think it was Susan Cain that described the term in a TED talk, not that she was the first. You may consider watching it, if you like.

Congratulations on your anniversary/marriage.
 
Ginny said:
@Bas iirc, VH hasn't been here in ages. So I'm taking the liberty of writing down a short explanation.

If you consider introversion and extroversion as a scale which describes energy expenditure and the ability to retain it, it's very much possible to describe a section in the middle of that scale which may be denoted "ambiversion".

It's not necessarily or exclusively an MBTI term, but depending on your definitions it can be incorporated into different theories. I think it was Susan Cain that described the term in a TED talk, not that she was the first. You may consider watching it, if you like.

Congratulations on your anniversary/marriage.
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Ginny,

Thank you for the congratulations! :-D

As for your thoughts concerning 'ambiversion', I'll have to prayerfully consider your suggestion. It seems counter-intuitive to suggest that what drains one will also charge one with energy. Here is a way to describe it (from my point-of-view) that may be useful, maybe:

If I spent days at home, I charge with energy. If I go out on the town, I love it, but when I get home, I crash. I get 'peopled out'.

I have a hard-time understanding how one can be charged by seclusion and also charged by inclusion. The very idea of an INFJ absorbing the energies of others, literally means, that those absorbed energies will have to be processed. And processing energy uses energy. And so, an INFJ must transmute any harmful energies (and most energies INFJs absorb from others are harmful energies) into helpful, uplifting energies. And that the very act of transmuting energies is also using ('burning') energies. I suppose if INFJs were to hang around uplifting people with uplifting energies being put-out, then, said INFJ would absorb uplifting, helpful energies. I can understand how absorbing uplifting energies can allow an INFJ to stay out 'in the field' among the people for much longer, but, sooner or later, the INFJ will need to be left alone to think, and to further process. So, unless said INFJ who can stay out in the field for extended periods of time learned to think in the moment, and become a smooth-talker 'on the fly', then said INFJ will have issues still when expected to reply without much time to think first. I write better than I speak. And so, unless an INFJ has learned to speak as well as he or she writes, then, I still don't understand how one can claim to be an 'ambivert'. It's sort of like when a right-handed individual learns to write well with the left-hand. The 'righty' isn't truly ambidextrous, said 'righty' has simply exercised thought processed that are not natural-born. Is it possible for one to develop ambidextrous ability, truly becoming ambidextrous? Yes, sure. We become our most frequent thoughts--eventually. However, in most all cases, one born a 'righty' will stay a 'righty' and will not be equally dexterous no matter what they do in this life--for the most part. The same holds true for "lefties" too.

And so it with introverts and extroverts, one may learn to act like the other, and one may learn to do it very will, but the foundational nature of either, in most all cases in one's entire life, tends to remain exactly as they started: either introvert or extrovert.

Anyway, this is how I understand it. I'd be interested to read your thoughts on this idea.
 
My theory is much more complex than I could put it in just one post, but I will try.

If you stop just seeing letters and started to notice the nuances of cognitive functions, you'll see that we have an equal amount of extraverted and introverted functions. The polarity of each function decides over the direction of energy-flow, how we receive and spend it. Introverted functions flow on the inside only whereas extraverted functions are permeable which allows energy exchange.

I have posted something on my blog not too long ago about function development as we age. I do not believe that we are born with a specific tendency, and that comes from my own life experience. The tendency does not fully become static until adolescence, even though a stronger tendency can become noticeable sooner. From an evolutionary and socio-psychological point of view, it doesn't make sense any other way.

I have looked deeper into the workings of energy and found that it doesn't matter that you spend and retain energy, but how it is spent and retained that makes a difference. I can spend a whole weekend alone and still be exhausted. Same with extraverts: even they can get drained by socialisation and need alone-time to recharge.

It's not just one way or another. It never is.
 
Ophelia said:
So how does everyone know, who knows, that they are an introvert or an extrovert or ambivert or what experiences have lead people to believe that they are who they are? When did ya'll first find out?
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I was a class clown when I was an adolescent, but feelings of inferiority and insecurity kept me to myself and from deeper connections. I've always had a desire to communicate ideas, something I'd attribute to being Aquarian or Adhd but truth is I think Introvert/Extravert socially speaking is just the result of an undiagnosed psychological trauma. Innate curiosity drives us to seek out the world, regardless of personality but fears hold us back taking a real step into the unknown. Truth is, the unknown is alive and lovely, and everything known is dead and disgusting.
 
EyeSeeCold said:
I was a class clown when I was an adolescent, but feelings of inferiority and insecurity kept me to myself and from deeper connections. I've always had a desire to communicate ideas, something I'd attribute to being Aquarian or Adhd but truth is I think Introvert/Extravert socially speaking is just the result of an undiagnosed psychological trauma. Innate curiosity drives us to seek out the world, regardless of personality but fears hold us back taking a real step into the unknown. Truth is, the unknown is alive and lovely, and everything known is dead and disgusting.
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Since all true power comes from within, I feel that introversion is the product of a soul possessing greater maturity--trauma or no trauma--though, I have never met a soul in existence who hasn't experienced trauma at some point or other in their existence.
 
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