The Energizing Preferences: Extraversion – Introversion

Extraverts are people who are energized by people: talking with people, playing with people, and working with people. Extraverts experience loneliness when they are not in contact with people. On the other hand, introverts are people who prefer solitude to recover energy. They like solitary activities, working quietly alone, reading, meditating, participating in activities which involve few or no other people. In the context of MBTI system, Extraversion doesn’t mean talkative, and Introversion doesn’t mean shy. The two words refer to whether a person gets energized in the outer world or their inner world.

Extraverts are outgoing, enthusiastic, often fast-paced, and enjoy a lot of interaction. To understand the world, they need to experience it. Their tendency is to act, discuss, or process verbally, and then act some more. They often think out loud and find it fairly easy to talk to anyone. They get rejuvenated by being with people and feel drained when they are alone.

On the other hand, Introverts are often reserved and private. They need more time to themselves and tend to conserve their energy. They want to understand the world before they experience it and often think and reflect before acting or speaking. Interacting too much with others can drain their energy. To rejuvenate, they need to be by themselves or in silence. Introverts prefer to focus their attention inward and get energized by their internal world of ideas, impressions, and thoughts.

When an Introvert and Extravert are in a relationship, the differences in their preferences can be a source of tension and conflict. They sometimes have a difficult time understanding each other. To an Extraverts, Introverts can seem withholding, antisocial, boring, and uninterested. To an Introvert, Extravert can seem pushy, intrusive, hyper, and too talkative.