These days, it’s become incredibly hard to tell for sure if you’re an introvert, extrovert, or something in between. But who says you have to narrow it down to just one? That’s right—you are completely special, interesting, and unique. Whatever thing you are is the coolest, most different, most rare way of being a person. Use this helpful guide to find out if you’re an introvert, extrovert, inverted extrovert in the extroverse, all of the above, or something even more extraordinary and complex.
1. You hate being in large groups of people, but find it stressful to be in small groups of people as well.
When in large groups, do you find yourself wishing you could be curled up at home watching Top of the Lake or Black Mirror, but then when you’re in a small group of your closest friends who also enjoy those things, you just wish you could be telling a large group of people all about your newest cool dark British television discovery? If so, you might be an introverted extrovert. This is an extremely rare and special thing to be, so give yourself a pat on the back for developing such a unique, nuanced, and complex set of social behaviors. Some people might say you’re “finicky” or “an asshole,” but you know the truth: you can’t be tied down by one definition, and that’s why you’re 100% an introverted extrovert.
2. It actually makes you tired to drink coffee, but discussing this phenomenon with people really wakes you up!
In college, you never got it: all those late study sessions and all-nighter finals cramming, and the only thing your friends could talk about was their caffeine intake. You, however, just never got it. By the time it was 4 am, you got the sneaking suspicion that coffee was actually making you more tired. How weird and special and fascinating! Luckily, you were able to find a little life hack that does keep you going, no matter how exhausted you are: talking at length about how weird it is that coffee does nothing for you. You might be put off by your friend’s lackluster responses to this brave admission (somewhere in between “oh” and “huh!”) but you keep on doing you, you ingoing outrovert!
3. Your energy level depends on your environment.
This is something no one else seems to get. When you’re at a great party with lots of your friends where you feel well within your comfort zone, you shine. You’re the life of the party! But then as soon as you get into an environment where you know absolutely no one and everyone’s being weird to you—or a library or something—your energy level lowers substantially. For a while you entertained the notion that this is a totally normal way to feel, but then you realized, “No, this is my cross to bear.” Well, you’re not alone, but don’t worry—that doesn’t take away from how crazy-special being an extrointroextrovert makes you.
4. You need to recharge after being out for nine consecutive nights, and you need to let everyone know.
It can be hard to plan your social calendar when you’re an introvertedly inclined extrovert with introverted tendencies. And if that’s who you are, that’s just fine! It might seem like your friends can just go and go and go, but that shouldn’t stop you from writing a Facebook status about how you “just need a night in with some wine and a good copy of Infinite Jest.” You absolutely do not need to apologize to your best friend for missing her 30th birthday party, and the fact that your friends are apparently a group of energizer bunnies doesn’t make them better than you. And, yes, being this in touch with your soul might actually make you better than them, you introvertedly extroversional intravert, you!
