This week we’re talking about Introverts and Extroverts — from the different ways these two distinct types show up in the world to the sometimes perplexing ways they can relate.
In the process we unpack our own introverted and extroverted tendencies, and we share expert insights on what both these types have to share with, and learn from, each other.
Finally, we offer you some experiments to help you expand your own awareness of introvert-extrovert dynamics and how they might be showing up in your own life.
“Introvert Extrovert” Episode Highlights
- How western culture is designed for — and by — the success of extroverts
- Significant differences between the types: How energy is recharged, sensitivity to stimuli, neurochemistry, enjoyment of or discomfort with silence
- Expert tips for communicating with the other type
- The importance of mirroring in communication — observing and adopting the patterns of the person you’re talking to
- Pilar’s experience with typing herself as a college student vs. as a mature adult, and her introverted need to recharge in solitude or small groups
- How extroverted Dallas gets energy — from talking things out and socializing
- How to care for introverts and extroverts
- The misunderstandings that the types have about each other, and the problems that can arise in introvert-extrovert relationships
Read the Fast Company article on introverts and extroverts. Look at the Quick Tips for Care list of the type you don’t self-identify with, and use two or three of those tips on a person you know is that type without telling them. Notice how it changes the quality of your interactions. Or go through the list in advance with the person and ask them which ideas they wish you’d use more often.
The next time you’re interacting with someone who is the opposite type, notice their energy, posture, gestures and level of interaction (or lack thereof) and try to mirror what they’re giving. Notice what happens for you and the other person.
Big Thanks to Our Friends at Optimize!
Thanks to our sponsor, Optimize by Heroic, for supporting The Living Experiment. Now you can get Optimize membership (formerly $250) for FREE just by signing up here. And check out the Heroic social training platform, with a goal of creating a world in which 51% of the world’s population is flourishing by 2051 — starting with YOU!
Share the Love!
Have you told your friends and family about The Living Experiment? If you dig the podcast, please share it! Every recommendation from you means a lot!
We’d also love to have you connect with us on Facebook. Tell us about your experiments, and share your thoughts, stories and reflections there.
Resources
- From Experience Life magazine:
- Susan Cain’s “The Power of Introverts” TED Talk, and a Q&A on the TED Blog
- “Why Introverts and Extroverts are Different: The Science” from Quiet Revolution
- Introvert-extrovert differences, tips for relating, and the definition of an ambivert from Fast Company
- An introvert-extrovert-ambivert quiz from Adam Grant
- Will Storr’s book Selfie — our cultural obsession with the “perfect self,” who is usually an extrovert
PLUS …
- Sign up for The Living Experiment newsletter so you can stay up to date with us, get free gifts, and receive notifications when new episodes are released.
- Subscribe to The Living Experiment on Apple Podcasts to have fresh episodes delivered to your podcast feed each week.