Extroverts Vs. Introverts
What makes a person an introvert or extrovert? One misconception is if you’re introverted, you are shy and withdrawn; that may not be true. There are plenty of introverts who love to interact with people and are not shy; there are some extroverts who have difficulty interacting with people and are more withdrawn. Being an extrovert does not automatically make you a social butterfly. Of course it helps that you love to be around others but what makes someone comfortable with speaking and interacting with people is practice and confidence. Any introvert or extrovert can learn that skill.
What makes the difference between extroverts and introverts is that most extroverts feel more energetic being around people whereas introverts feel drained and need time to recharge. There are some extroverts (such as the ENFJ) who need a lot more alone time and feel exhausted after being around people. This is due to their naturally higher empathic nature and needing time to decompress.
It is generally true that extroverts are more optimistic than introverts as a whole but there are some introverts who are more naturally optimistic such as the ISTP and ISFP.
Extroverts on the surface can appear bubbly and charismatic; that’s why they make great leaders and can amass a large following. Interacting with other people is usually fun and rewarding. They enjoy meeting new people and having new experiences.
Introverts are more reflective and tire of being around people. They enjoy thinking alone and pondering life. Introverts usually have a smaller circle of close friends and take a longer time opening up to others. They are naturally more skeptical and can appear standoffish even if they are warm and caring individuals.
Most people will display some traits from both preferences but in general one typically has a dominant side. There are people who are very comfortable with conversing and speaking to a larger crowd when they are comfortable around people, however that does not automatically make them extroverted.
Regardless where you lie on each dichotomy, neither one is better than the other. Introverts and extroverts have their strengths and weaknesses and each side can learn from one another.