Know what an ambivert is? Up until recently, no one did. Although the personality type was actually ID'd back in the '40s, it's only recently gotten some attention.
You probably know about the two more extreme personalities people are shoehorned into: introverts, meaning you prefer to be by yourself, and extroverts, who love a good crowd and actually draw energy from others.
But recently, we've been hearing a lot more about the gray area between these two — "the ambivert."
Here's what science knows so far about this hybrid personality type.
1. There are more ambiverts than you may think. Surprise! About 38 percent of us fall into this "new" sweet spot.
2. Ambiverts are a little country, a little rock and roll. In other words, they share traits with both introversion and extraversion. If you're an ambivert, you've got the ability to socialize (like an extrovert). Yet, can rein it in — like the quieter end of the personality spectrum.
3. Being an ambivert means having a flexible personality. Because they can swing back and forth between introversion and extroversion — or just stay grounded somewhere in the neutral middle — ambiverts easily adapt to new situations.
4. … Or they flounder. Sometimes, ambiverts aren't sure which part of their personality to lead with — the outgoing, extroverted type? The shyer, nuanced one? Because of that, they can sometimes feel stuck, not knowing how to act or when it's time to regroup and try something different.
5. Ambiverts could sell bacon to a pig. A Wharton School study found that people who are smack-dab in the middle of introversion and extroversion make the best salespeople and bring in the most money. (Sorry, extroverts.) The reason? They can be enthusiastic enough to engage people without appearing arrogant.
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6. Feeling at ease anywhere is the hallmark sign of an ambivert. We all have different thresholds of stimulation. For instance, introverts are affected by even very little noise and activity, so they prefer being alone or in peaceful, quiet areas. Extroverts crave a lot more stimuli in their lives. And ambiverts, as you might guess, have neither of these extreme needs, which means they can be equally comfy staying home or going to Disney World for Memorial Day weekend.
7. Intuition is part of being an ambivert. Unlike extroverts, who sometimes have a hard time knowing when to stop talking, and introverts, who may choose NOT to talk, ambiverts instinctively know when to listen and when to shut up.
8. Ambiverts are "emotionally bilingual." That's the way Daniel Pink, host of Crowd Control, a TV show about human behavior, put it to the Wall Street Journal. Because ambiverts have such a wide range of people skills, they can "connect with a wider range … in the same way someone who speaks English and Spanish can," Pink explained.
9. Ambiverts act uniquely on social media. According to an undergrad Arcadia University study, extroverts post more on social media and are apt to connect with people they don't know, while introverts stick mostly to close friends and family. Ambiverts don't lean toward either trend and simply do their own thing.
10. Ambiverts may have an edge on parenting and marriage. That's because they're masters of give-and-take. (And because of all the reasons above, of course.)
Image via iStock.com/aquamethods