You’re unpredictable
“One time you’re like this, and the next time, you’re like that,” says Moore, adding that your flip-flopping can confuse other people – and yourself. For example, people know Moore is an extrovert, so if they happen to find him sitting by himself, they assume he’s sick. “That’s predictable behaviour,” he says.
Ambiverts have to explain themselves by saying, “‘Oh, I’m actually an ambivert. So sometimes I’ll be like an introvert; other times, like an extrovert. And I’m not entirely sure when I do it,’” Moore notes.
The key: knowing yourself
“Ambiverts who are very self-aware can actually really match situations well with what their energies and needs are,” says Helgoe. “Maybe some ambiverts really like certain kinds of stimulation, or they know that ‘I hate public speaking, but I like spontaneous large-group discussions.’ They know the varieties of extroversion and of introversion that they like.”
So how do you gain self-awareness? You can take personality tests that help you spot your patterns. “That would help you be aware that, as a general rule, you like things toned down or revved up more,” says Helgoe. Maybe you don’t have a general rule, but even knowing that is helpful, she says.
If you switch back and forth between introversion and extroversion, you need to become more sensitive to what works for you, and when. Keeping a journal is a way to check in with yourself and track your thoughts, Helgoe says.
“Noticing how things work for you when you engage more out of extroversion or out of introversion is going to help you get more of what you want,” she says.
That’s a lesson everyone can learn, whether you’re an ambivert, introvert, or extrovert.
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Source: RD.com
