Politics

shut up introverts: ambiverts deserve attention, too!

November 8, 2013

“There is no such thing as a pure introvert or extrovert. Such a person would be in the lunatic asylum.” ~ Carl G Jung
Dear Introverts,
The loud world is basking in your silent revolution. Your function is in fashion now. You wear your personality trait like a hip badge of honor, and you’ve mustered enough inner-energy, all one-third of it, to gain battle ground against the over-valued extrovert. Gone is the stereotypical assumption of a shy, perhaps narcissistic- creature tucked away behind a dark, windowless room.
And contrary to popular lore, you’re finally receiving the attention you had desperately sought. Oh, the irony! And as the internet realm continue to marvel at your trendy idiosyncrasies; a new creature has risen out of the pit.
Meet the Ambiverts!

By Wilkine Brutus, AFROPUNK Contributor

Like a new team of X-Men/women mutants, we exhibit the major qualities of both the extrovert and introvert. We reject the single continuum of the one road individual. We are a multidimensional highway. And we deserve attention, too. No, we actually demand a balanced approach.

Introverts, we’ve glared from the edge of your war. Your silent revolution began peacefully. Your leader, Susan Cain, wanted the world of extroverts to understand the misunderstood. She also—although largely oblivious by the current one-box fitting narrative–stressed the importance of collaboration: the best living environment is when everyone is understood and their talents are maximized.

Sadly, the polarizing either/or dichotomy between introverts and the extroverts has now morphed into a shameful Maury fight about who’s more noble and brilliant than the other. Human nature is much more complex than our one dimensional system of categorization; go ahead, take your temperament assessment test such as Jung’s Typology, Big 5, and Myers Briggs.

The universal fact still remains: we are a system of inner and outer workings. There is always an underlying balance, and not all of us take the absolute approach by belonging to the extremes of the personality spectrum.

Most of us find duality a pleasant milieu in which to reside in. Our personality trait is situation-dependent. Ambiverts are not hardwired to think or feel in a linear way. Our mind is a melting pot and salad bowl.

Dear introverts, covert narcissists masquerading as introverts, and extroverts…

Here are 7 Reasons you’re most likely an Ambivert.

1. Like Button: People are a source of inspiration and bad influence
In school and the workforce, Ambiverts have mastered the basic foundation of autonomy and togetherness. They don’t necessarily prefer more or less stimulation. The quality of people stimulates them, not the quantity.

2. Adaptability: We balance our energies so we don’t feel burnt out.
Ambiverts don’t lose energy by interacting with people. They’re about achieving moderation in everything while avoiding excessiveness. They’re able to get into their hermit modes to seek solitude whenever it’s necessary. Recharging, for them, means using time and energy wisely. Ambiverts have a keen sense of when to be productive, and can adapt to almost any circumstance or individual.

3. Creativity: Masterpieces are created in silence and sold vigorously.
Ambiverts understand that a creative person taps into his/her introverted and extroverted functions to create and complete a project because selling is essentially human. It’s like creating a David Lynch film or a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting: one usually creates the bulk of the concept, and then seeks production help to market the product. They’re able to tap into both spectrum simultaneously. A spoken word poet, for instance, may go into hermit mode to write a sizzling poem, and then explode on stage with a brilliant performance. The crowd is then sold on it.

4. Introverts are NOT smarter than Extroverts or Ambiverts:
Introverts are riding the intellectual high horse right now–there is an egocentric aura sitting in the air. Yet, we use our intelligence in different ways. You can create a list of famous introverts, but you can’t accurately measure their impact, their contribution to the world.

5. Spontaneity & Distraction: This experience is too monotonous; why are we still here?
As technology continues to control our lives, aren’t we all distracted? An Ambiverts reaction to stimulation is situational-dependent. We loathe feeling idle. Taking that “time alone” is seen as purposeful, along the lines of sleep, but Ambiverts aren’t around people for the sake of just being around people. Also, they aren’t home specifically to avoid people either.

6. Isolation & Narcissism: I’m going to the movies alone, but you can come, too.
Ambiverts can also go to a movie theater alone or with a group. It depends on the movie and our current state of mind. Our emotions fluctuate, and we find it practical to move with the moment. We’re also afraid of overt and covert narcissists because we understand the low and rising tides of the human emotion, and try our best to accommodate our existential selves and others.

7. Deep in thought & Small Talk:
We can handle both, because small talk can lead to deeper conversations. Sometimes small talk is used to gauge the mental capacity of the person you’re speaking to. You don’t want to begin a conversation by immediately throwing your political/philosophical jargon at a friend, acquaintance, or stranger. Starting a conversation, sometimes, is like putting your big toe in the tub to test the water.

Are you an ambivert secretly passing as an introvert or extrovert? Leave your comments below.

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