Ambivert is a new personality type that combines an introvert and an extrovert. Its individual features become apparent depending on the situation that arises. As a result, the factual definition of ambivert is somewhat more complicated compared to the other two personality types. Read who an ambivert is and what this personality type is about!

Ambiwertykandambivalenceare terms used in psychology to try to define a new personality type. Personality types were mentioned as early as the beginning of the 20th century by Carl Jung. He distinguished two types: introversion (an introvert is a type of personality in which there is a tendency to focus on one's own inner world, manifested, among others, by preferring to rest alone) and its opposite, i.e. extroversion (an extrovert is a person who focuses on external life, which leads, for example, to the fact that he feels best in the company of other people, and he feels bad when alone). In life, however, as is often said, nothing is only black or only white. The existence of different shades of gray has also been suggested for personality types. Critics of Jung's theory pointed out that it is necessary to distinguish some type of personality located "in the middle", which would combine the characteristics of both introverts and extroverts. This is what happened in the end, and a third type of personality began to be distinguished among the personality types - ambivalence. The psychologist Hans Eysenck is considered the author of this concept.

Ambiwertyk: who is he and what makes this personality type different?

Ambiverts could actually be considered relatively universal people who are able to find themselves in most different situations. People with this type of personality are able to both have a great time at a party with a lot of people, and spend a weekend evening alone at home with a book and relax perfectly. An ambivert can be an excellent speaker, but also a good listener. People who show ambivalence may also enjoy being a leader, but also find themselves well in a situation where they are to work under someone's supervision.

The appropriateness of distinguishing ambivalence justifies, for example, how often it is encountered - it is generally believed thatMost people are ambiverts.

The prefix "ambi-" comes from the Latin "ambo", meaning "oboje" and this fact alone explains what is ambivalence. Ambieverts are characterized by the presence of both introverts and extroverts - they can be intertwined to varying degrees, however, the characteristics and behaviors displayed by a given person do not allow to define him unequivocally as either an extrovert or an introvert. But how can we say that our personality type is ambivalence?

We can find out what type of personality we have by analyzing our answers to a few simple questions. To help us know if we are ambiverts, it may be possible to consider several different aspects, for example this:

  • How do we prefer to work : alone in our own privacy or maybe we prefer to work in a group?
  • What is our favorite way to spend a free evening : watching a movie or reading a book alone or preferring to go out with friends?
  • How do we behave in a larger group of people : do we run away or do we feel like the life of the party, entertaining most people with a conversation?
  • How quickly do we trust other people : are we generally open to others, do we approach others with a distance and gain trust in them only after some time?
  • How do we feel when we are left completely alone : are we okay with it and are we able to fill our time, do we feel discomfort and pull us to other people?

A person who is an ambivalent to the above questions will most likely answer "differently" or "and yes and yes". For, as already mentioned above, ambiverts function well in most life situations. It would seem that in such a case ambivalence is the most beneficial type of personality, but in practice … some people criticize ambiverts and consider them, for example, as false people. Why?

Worth knowing

Personality traits and social behavior of a person who is an ambivert may differ drastically depending on the company he is in.

An ambivert can be very casual when he spends time with people he knows and with those with whom he feels comfortable. Then he is more open and communicative. He expresses his emotions clearly and does not feel embarrassed by this fact.

Ambiwertyk among dominant people and the so-called making hype around themselves may become withdrawn. The company of such people would rather change for a quiet evening with a book or a good movie at home because he does not like to appear in such a group.

Is it worth being an ambivert?

The criticism of ambiverts comes from the fact that they may behave completely differently in different situations. It happens that in one group of people - e.g. among their friends - they are extremely cordial and open, and in another environment - e.g. among friends of their partner - they become closed and more prone to listening than talking.

However, it has also been observed that ambivalence can be exceptionally beneficial - such conclusions were made in relation to the represented type of personality and the performed profession. It turns out that ambiverts can be the best sellers or marketers - they are able to both listen to the client and his expectations (then resembling an introvert) and, if necessary, "switch" to an extrovert and expansively promote the sold product by yourself.

The final and unequivocal answer to the question posed above - that is, whether the ambition is beneficial or not - cannot be given. One of us prefers peace, another prefers a life full of entertainment, and yet another man finds himself well in all conditions. So you cannot divide into "good" and "bad" personality types - just each of us has our own distinguishing features from other people and as long as they do not adversely affect our daily functioning, it absolutely cannot be said that a given personality type is better than the other.

About the authorBow. Tomasz NęckiA graduate of medicine at the Medical University of Poznań. An admirer of the Polish sea (most willingly strolling along its shores with headphones in his ears), cats and books. In working with patients, he focuses on always listening to them and spending as much time as they need.

Category:

Psychology