I recently read the September issue of Psychology Today. One of the cover story articles, Mixed Signals, talked about who we think we are may not be the same as we are perceived.
I thought it was an interesting article, and then one of the insets described some of the frequently misunderstood types, and I think I may fit one of them like a glove.
Most people who meet me think I’m an extrovert and that I love people, but really this isn’t the case—about being an extrovert that is, I really do love people. Maybe because I’m an only child, but I crave the time I spend alone.
According to the article, I’m a Bubbly Introvert. What is that? According to Psychology Today:
“When people come across as vivacious, exuberant, and cheerful, we assume they’re extroverts. But some lively people are actually gasping for time to themselves. Having good social skills isn’t the same thing as wanting to be around people all the time. ‘These things go together a lot,’ says Sanjay Srivastava, a psychologist at the University of Oregon. ‘But they’re not perfect correlations.’”
In order to correlate better, the article says that Bubbly Introverts need to guard their alone time. I try to do this. I get a lot of invites to parties and just hanging out, but I don’t say yes to all of them, and most of my close friends understand this. Honestly, if I had a choice between a fabulous party and being under the covers with a book—I would choose the book every time. But I also do realize that I need to get out and mingle as well.
