I, Ambivert

I've been tested for introversion or extroversion several times in my life, even by professionals. The results have always been the same: I have strong characteristics of both personality types.

That's always made sense to me because I do enjoy being in groups and enjoy being by myself. In fact, I need to alternate those situations to be happy. One strange way this plays out, though, is that I'm perfectly fine with my own thoughts but tend to think in a conversational manner.

This came up in conversation, recently, because it's one of my go-to topics when I first get to know someone. It's always seemed interesting because I've never heard of anyone else with a mix of the two traits. While talking about it, I realized I've never done any casual research into this. No one's ever suggested it was a problem being a mix of the two types or made me feel like a freak, but I was surprised that I never looked into it just out of intellectual curiosity and self-interest.

Thanks to Wikipedia, I found there is a term for it: ambiversion.

There's a common joyous response to discovering you are not alone, that there is a term for something that describes you. I never expect to have that response. I did have that response to discovering I'm an ambivert.

Most people think of introversion and extroversion as an either/or proposal, which it was in Carl Jung's original theories. Like most of Jung's theories, that's been refined more recently and the possibility and a name for being in the middle of the spectrum was introduced. (Thanks, again, Wikipedia.)

There isn't much information about ambiversion that I could find. It doesn't even have it's own page on Wikipedia. I did find a few personal experience essays about being ambiverted, but they were kind of dumb. What I was really wondering is if anyone else who is ambiverted thinks in conversation, but I haven't found anything pertaining to that. (Note: Even Blogger's spellcheck doesn't recognize "ambivert," while it does recognize "introvert" and "extrovert.")

Oh well. It's still satisfying to learn something about myself, and a new word to use when I talk to myself about myself.

Not Fox-worthy

Do you find this man attractive?

Please don't make love to the camera.

Really? What about this man?

Please don't rape the camera.

If you find these men attractive, there's a good chance you're a hick.

Seriously. I've known several people who really have the hots for these two. Every one of them think both Bret Michaels and Vin Diesel are sexy. Every one of them is a major hick.

I find it hard to believe anyone finds them attractive. Looking at Bret Michaels' lined bug-eyes and inflated lips makes me queasy. Vin Diesel's waxed eyebrows and trying-too-hard physique make me lose faith in masculinity.

Maybe it wouldn't be so confusing if you strip away their careers... No, they're still gross.

That's probably part of the problem, anyway--hicks would think "Every Rose has its Thorn" and The Fast and the Furious are respectable contributions to society and culture.

Ew.

This information does come in handy, though. If there's anyone one you suspect might be a hick and you want to know for sure, ask that person what he/she thinks of Bret Michaels and Vin Diesel and their "bodies of work." Just be prepared to lose respect for that person... and maybe your appetite.