The other day I attended a workshop for women. The topic was learning about Extroverts and Introverts. I don’t use the term “versus” because most of us are a combination of both. We took a short quiz and determined where we each stood on the continuum. I tested between middle to introvert. I think that enjoying alone time, doing quiet activities like qigong and needing time to process ideas placed me there. We broke up into groups and were asked to think about positive qualities of our nature and where we could improve when communicating. At first our group did extrovert-bashing. After all, they can be loud, inconsiderate, and self-absorbed. (I can just imagine what they said about us!) Then, we became more tolerant and considerate and thought of ways that we could be more effective in listening and accepting.
What was astounding for me was getting to a point of appreciating an extrovert’s needs. Whereas before I interpreted their behavior as aggressive and bullying, I began to see that sometimes it is enthusiasm and excitement. I still don’t like it when someone tries to convince me of a point of view when I need time to think about it. I tend to shut them out. And, of course they keep on going louder and more forceful. This reminds me of a book by David Hawkins called “Power Versus Force” where he highlights that true inner power is not forceful, but made up of honest qualities like being balanced, intuitive, observant and humble.
How about you? Where are you on the continuum?
