Thursday, November 21, 2013

"Ambivert" Isn't a Word

I've seen a couple articles in the last couple months talking about a personality trait called "ambiversion," and people called "ambiverts." This is supposed to be in contrast to the typical extraverts and introverts that we've heard so much about, primarily through pop personality tests like Myers-Briggs. But ambiverts don't exist.

Many people seem to completely misunderstand how the Myers-Briggs test works. They think that, if they're classified as an introvert or an extravert, then they're an introvert or an extravert all the time, 100%, no ands or buts. That's simply not true, and the bona fide Myers-Briggs test has never claimed that. (If you're taking free rip-off online tests, I can't speak for those.) What the MBTI assessment tells you is what you do most of the time.

Personally, I'm an INFJ. I've read a number of generalized descriptions of INFJs, and each time I think, "How do they know me so well? I do all these things just about all the time." But if you look carefully at the descriptions, what you see won't be someone who's always acting introverted and never wanting to be around people. If you look at a more complete and detailed MBTI summary (I like this one), then you'll see that each personality type has four functions: primary, secondary, tertiary, and inferior.

As an INFJ, my primary function is Introverted iNtuition. This is completely true of me. I more often than not prefer to be alone or maybe with a couple people I know well. I like reading and watching TV shows by myself (sometimes). Also, the way I tend to understand the world is very intuitive. I get a big picture feel a lot of the time, and have difficulty picking out details or explaining things to other people, because I just sort of get it all at once and don't know how I got there. In general, I most easily and most often process the world intuitively and when I'm by myself.

My secondary function is Extraverted Feeling. I am very much a feeler, and I have a tendency to go off of moods and feelings. (I think this ties in with being intuitive, but I'm not sure.) And yes, I do like being around people fairly often. I don't meet new people very easily (only the most naturally extraverted do, it seems), and I don't like being around large crowds of people I don't know, but you put me in a room with forty people who I'm basically acquainted with and I usually have fun for a while, without any particular strain. This, despite the fact that I'm an INFJ. Yes, I do have an extraverted side; no, I'm not limited to being only an introvert all the time.

My tertiary (third-ranked) function is Introverted Thinking, and my inferior is Extraverted Sensing. Basically, I'm very bad at acting like an extraverted senser, probably because INFJs tend to be very intuitive. (Notice that Extraverted Sensing, ES, is the opposite of Introverted iNtuiting, IN.) But, at the same time, I'm not very strongly an introvert. I tend in that direction, but I also like people a lot, as long as I know them.

To reiterate, there is no such thing as an ambivert. People who don't resonate with one side or the other are probably just on the middle, a lot like I am. (I'd place myself at something like 60/40 intro/extra. Others are closer to the middle.) But this doesn't mean that you can throw in a third category, just like that. It reflects a large misunderstanding of what Myers-Briggs is claiming to do.

For what it's worth, personality tests also aren't a foolproof guide to understanding a person. They're more like a foundation to build your relationship on. I like understanding myself and other people, but tests and facts aren't a replacement for really knowing someone. So don't put too much stake on whether or not you're an introvert, an extravert, or this newly-invented ambivert.

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