ANDRE BEGIN

I had not really given much thought to the question of whether I was an introvert or an extrovert until I was offered the opportunity to do a Myers-Briggs-type test many years ago.

Going into it, I assumed I was somewhere in the middle between extrovert and introvert, but definitely in introvert territory. I liked to be around people but I often felt shy in certain social situations. Plus, doing things on my own like individual sports and introspective hobbies seemed like my natural inclination as far back as I could remember. There was no way I could be an extrovert.

When the results came in, I was a little surprised. No, actually, I was very surprised that I was indeed somewhere in the middle, but well into extrovert territory.

How did I not know this? It often seems that I am the last to figure out what most people seem to think is obvious about me.

As I gave it more thought, it did seem plausible. The mildly extroverted tag seemed to fit more and more. It explained some of the intuitive choices I made, the career decisions I made and the people I had gravitated to in life. It even explained some of my fashion choices.

Nonetheless, in the years that followed, I realized that in being around the middle line like that, there is a balancing act taking place. For all the time I was “on” (consuming extrovert energy), there had to be some counterbalancing time “off”, on my own, disconnected from social commitments, in order to replenish extrovert energy stores.

That became an interesting journey in itself, the balancing act between introvert and extrovert energy, as it became a long term quest in pacing myself and recognizing the natural ebb and flow of energy and to know (in a timely manner) when I need to compensate.

If the balance tilted too far and for too long on the extrovert side, I tend to get tired, then exhausted, which unresolved can turn to illness. On the other hand, if I keep to myself for too long (as sometimes happens during long Canadian winters), my craving to be around people intensifies over time even if just to hang out at a mall.

For me, the introvert-extrovert split works great for writing because as much as I enjoy the solitude and serenity of the creative process, I genuinely hope that the work resonates with readers. The introvert part of me is very sensitive about being tactful, diplomatic and not offend anyone, while the extrovert part of me is fairly resilient to criticism. I either take it with a grain of salt or I view it as constructive feedback.

However, dancing across the extrovert-introvert line like that does present some split personality moments:

– Although I have been told by my supervisors that I am a pretty natural public speaker, the fact is that I would rather no one speak to me in the 10 minutes before I begin, while I get into the zone as I get the confetti cannon of extrovert energy ready.

– Even though I am a pretty cheerful guy overall, never assume I am cheerful before my first coffee has fully taken effect.

– In the years I was working in client service, I absolutely loved interacting with my clients during business hours, but during the evening I was notorious for screening my calls at home and taking a while to call people back as I needed to recharge after full days on the phone.

To this day, I count my blessings that I am surrounded by such a great mix of extroverts, introverts and everyone who is somewhere in the middle. Without actively saying it or doing it, I think we just naturally surround ourselves with the right people at the right time who either provide the lift we need or the grounding we need to keep our energy in check. As long as both parties ensure they don’t become energy vampires, I think most friends are happy in sharing in that complementary energy exchange.

What was interesting to me was the opportunity to do a variation on the test twenty years later and the result was exactly the same. Who knew?

While the outcome of the tests was not life-changing in itself, the self-awareness it gave me proved useful in carefully choosing my activities, whether I needed more social time or more time to myself, to recalibrate my energy around life’s peaks and valleys.

I would like to think that as a middle of the road extrovert, I enjoy the best of both worlds and can turn it “on” and “off” as appropriate to the occasion. As long as I have sufficient time to recuperate and bounce back when rapidly changing gears from introvert to extrovert, I can confidently own my position on the Myers-Briggs scale.

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Sincere thanks for reading!
Have a great day,
André