WHAT IS AMBIVERSION

Ambiversion is related to introversion and extroversion, the two different “temperaments” that people can have. A lot of us talk about these two traits as if they are either/or — you have to be one or the other. But that’s not quite right. The truth is that introversion and extroversion are on a spectrum, and nobody is 100% one or the other. Not even the quietest introvert or the chattiest extrovert.

As a result, lots of people are somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. If that’s you:

• You might feel like you don’t really fit under either label
• Or, you might feel like both labels resonate at different times
• If someone asks whether you prefer to be around people, or have alone time, your answer is a simple, “It depends.

Ambiversion is a relatively recent term, but a growing number of people identify with it. It’s hard to say how many people are ambiverts. Psychologist Carl Jung didn’t use the exact term “ambivert,” but he believed that people who are neither highly introverted nor highly extroverted are in the majority. Some recent experts make a similar claim, suggesting that two thirds of all people are ambiverts.

However, these numbers can be misleading. The truth is that, even near the middle of the spectrum, most people lean one way or another. Knowing which way you lean is important to understanding where you get your energy from — even if you’re a “soft” introvert or extrovert. True ambiverts may be relatively rare. Some estimates put them at 20% of the population or less.