Introvert
A person whose personality is characterized by introversion : a typically reserved or quiet person who tends to be introspective and enjoys spending time alone … introverts gain energy through solitude and quiet.— Bill Howatt His research further shows that about 70% of top executives are introverts.— Linda Grant Bill Gates is quiet and bookish, but apparently unfazed by others’ opinions of him: he’s an introvert, but not shy.— Steven Aitchison
Note: Introverts are typically more comfortable interacting with small groups of people rather than large groups (as at parties). The psychologist Carl Gustav Jung first introduced the terms introvert, introversion, extrovert, and extroversion in the early 1900s to describe personality types that focus a person’s energy on either the inner or outer world. The terms introvert and extrovert have since become widely popularized, with introvert often broadly used to mean “a quiet or shy person.”
… she was, by other accounts, a “shy sensitive introvert” who was “afraid of people and felt most comfortable when she could shut the door and withdraw.”— Robert R. Harris — compare extrovert
2 : something (such as the retractile proboscis of some worms) that is or can be drawn in especially by invagination
Extrovert
A person whose personality is characterized by extroversion : a typically gregarious and unreserved person who enjoys and seeks out social interaction Extroverts are more recognized because of their affable nature, while introverts struggle to break out of their personal space …— Helen Wu
Note: The psychologist Carl Gustav Jung first introduced the terms extrovert, extroversion, introvert, and introversion in the early 1900s to describe personality types that focus a person’s energy on either the inner or outer world. The terms extrovert and introvert have since become widely popularized, with extrovert often broadly used to mean “an outgoing, sociable, or talkative person.”
Extrovert (sometimes spelled extravert) means basically “turned outward”—that is, toward things outside oneself. The word was coined by the eminent psychologist C. G. Jung in the early 20th century. The opposite personality type, in Jung’s view, was the introvert. Extroverts seem to be favored by societies such as ours, even though introverts seem to be on average more mentally gifted. Psychologists have said that the only personality traits that can be identified in newborn infants are shyness and lack of shyness, which are fairly close to—but not really the same as—introversion and extroversion.
Ambivert
A person having characteristics of both extrovert and introvert
An ambivert is someone who falls in the middle of the introvert/extrovert continuum. Ambiverts have a blend of traits from both introverts and extroverts, as well as their own unique strengths.
Have you always struggled with the question, “Are you an introvert or an extrovert”? If so, there’s a good chance you’re an ambivert — someone who is a little of both. Ambiverts are fascinating individuals who can be excellent conversationalists as well as excellent listeners. But that’s only part of the story. In this guide, we’ll help you understand what ambiversion is, how to know if you’re an ambivert, and how to draw on your natural gifts. Read on and see if ambiversion sounds like you.