Yes, You Can Be an Outgoing Introvert—Here Are 3 Signs You Fit This Personality Profile

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cheryl

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Yes, You Can Be an Outgoing Introvert—Here Are 3 Signs You Fit This Personality Profile - Well and Good

Grouping people into sweeping personality categories (e.g., you like parties, so you must be extroverted!) allows little room for nuance—but as you may rightfully suspect, most people’s personalities contain multitudes. We know that some people fall in the middle of the extrovert-introvert spectrum as ambiverts. And just as not all extroverts naturally thrive in every social setting, not all introverts automatically relegate themselves to wallflower status. Enter the outgoing introvert, which may seem like an oxymoron but is actually not, according to psychologists.

The key to understanding the outgoing introvert is the distinction between being shy and being an introvert. “The biggest difference between a shy person and an introvert is the fear factor,” says clinical psychologist Carla Marie Manly, PhD. While a shy person is generally anxious and fearful in unfamiliar social settings, once they become comfortable, they can actually draw energy from socializing, she says. The introvert, by contrast, is not necessarily afraid of social settings, but can quickly lose energy or feel depleted by them. As a result, an outgoing introvert may sometimes pass on invitations to large parties or events, just because they find them energy-sucking—not because they get anxious at the idea of them or lack the social skills to truly enjoy them.
 
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