Other possible explanations for ambiversion
Perhaps you're a highly sensitive extrovert or a normal introvert
My first encounter with the term HSP was when a client filled in her pre-session questionnaire in preparation for a career consultation. While I knew she was not a halal snack pack - a popular Australian fast food dish - I had no idea what she meant by referring to herself as a HSP.
A quick online search revealed that my client meant she was a highly sensitive person.
Highly Sensitive Person, or HSP, is a term coined by psychologist Dr Elaine Aron. According to Aron’s theory, HSPs are a subset of the population who are high in a personality trait known as sensory-processing sensitivity, or SPS. Those with high levels of SPS display increased emotional sensitivity, stronger reactivity to both external and internal stimuli—pain, hunger, light, and noise—and a complex inner life.
After working together on her career plan and re-crafting her LinkedIn profile I did not give the term HSP much more thought. That is, until I began my research about ambiverts, which is when I first came across a definition of ambiverts1, thanks to Jenn Granneman’s award winning website and community - Introvert, Dear2.
There’s something quite surprising at the end of her deep exploration of ambiverts, their traits and career preferences, when Granneman suggests that ambiversion may be a misnomer.
Is she saying the term ambivert may be incorrect?
Yes, and no.
Acknowledging that there are a whole lot of people who do like socialising, but also get drained if they do it for too long, she suggests this could mean you’re a very normal introvert. Granneman believes the problem is that many people misunderstand what introversion means. They think it’s the same thing as being shy or not liking social time, but she does not believe this is true.
While some introverts struggle with shyness, most don’t. And there are millions of true, dyed-in-the-wool introverts who honestly like socializing. They just get drained after a while.
Grannneman suggests that ambiverts may actually be HSP extroverts and some people have another personality trait that’s unrelated to introversion and extroversion, called high sensitivity.
If this is piquing your interest, you’ll want to read 21 Signs You’re a Highly Sensitive Person, from Granneman’s other website, Sensitive Refuge, where we learn that about 30% of HSPs are extroverted by nature, but they often get mislabeled as introverts.
Granneman seems to be suggesting that if you feel extroverted in general, but still get worn out after going out too long, you might not be an ambivert at all.
You could be a highly sensitive extrovert.
What does this mean for ambiverts?
If ambiversion is a misnomer, how can we have a research report in 2013 with the title Rethinking the Extraverted Sales Ideal: The Ambivert Advantage?
Melissa Summer attempts to explain why ambiversion does not exist in “Do Ambiverts Exist? (December, 2019), published on The Myers-Brigg Company.
We can dismiss this claim once we read “Say Goodbye to MBTI, the Fad That Won't Die”, (September, 2013), by
, published on LinkedIn. If you’re not convinced, I also recommend you read this.
While I do identify as someone who has ambivert tendencies, I also recognise that I may experience some elements of high sensitivity. Granneman suggests that if you identify as someone who may be an ambivert and the ideas that you may be a normal introvert or a highly sensitive extrovert do not resonate, then it might be safe to say you’re truly in the middle of the introvert-extrovert continuum.
Refreshing our understanding of personality types
I think it’s also worth refreshing our understanding about what introversion and extroversion is and debunking some of the myths about introverts and extroverts, such as:
Myth 1: Extraverts get energy from social interaction, whereas introverts get energy from privately reflecting on their thoughts and feelings.
Myth 2: Introverts are plagued by public speaking anxiety.
Myth 3: Extraverts are better leaders than introverts.
Myth 4: Extraverts are better networkers than introverts.
Myth 5: Extraverts are better salespeople than introverts.
Read more evidenced based perspectives in “5 Myths about Introverts and Extraverts at Work” (February, 2014), by
, published on LinkedIn. Please note - there is a link in that article that does not work. Here’s the updated link for Myth 3 - “When I tracked leadership effectiveness with Francesca Gino and Dave Hofmann, we found that extraverts and introverts were equally successful overall”.Ambiversion through the lens of a body language expert
I love the description of ambiversion provided by Vanessa Van Edwards, communication expert, bestselling author, speaker, and founder of Science of People. In a video clip from the Diary of a CEO interview with Vanessa Van Edwards and Stephen Bartlett3 (January, 2025), she describes what she teaches people about ambiverts.
I wonder if you see yourself in her description. I certainly do!
Here is the transcript from this clip.
So introverts get energy from being alone extroverts get energy from being with people and ambiverts get energy around being with the right people and the right situations.
So, for example in this interview I love one-on-one conversations. But if we were to go to a loud bar or a nightclub I would completely shut down and want to be alone. Ambiverts can dial up extroversion to hit their goals. So if they know they have to be friendly and meet people for an interview or a position they can do it, but they need lots of recharge time.
The reason why it's important to know if you're an Ambivert is because you should know what are the people and places that drain you. There are certain people when you open your calendar and you look at it and you're like “Oh, I have to be with that person”. That is someone that drains you. They do not bring out your extroversion or your natural love of people.
There are also certain people who you feel you could talk to for hours. They give you social energy. They charge your social battery.
So the very first thing I have students do is sit and make a list.
Who are the people who give you energy, who charge you up? Who are the people who take from you? Those are people that we want to put boundaries around. We want to say no to. We want to limit as much as possible.
And then also the places where you thrive. Is it conferences, one-on-one business, or is it friends socializing, parties?
Knowing those places helps you optimize your social battery.
You may also like to read my reflections on how I’ve reconciled my ambivert tendencies in light of the ambivert advantage that
uncovered in the process of challenging the extrovert ideal.
The relevance of considering other possible explanations
I share Granneman’s perspective that understanding our personalities is one of the biggest ways to grow. I also believe it’s good practice to consider the many and varied perspectives that exist within a subject area.
I’ve read Sensitive: The Power of a Thoughtful Mind in an Overwhelming World, by Jenn Granneman and Andre Sólo, and Four Gifts of the Highly Sensitive, by Courtenay Marchesani and highly recommend you read these books too, especially if you sense - see what I did there? - that you may be a HSP.
Learn more about Highly Sensitive People
If you’d like to learn more about HSPs, Dr Elaine Aron’s books include The Highly Sensitive Person, The Highly Sensitive Parent and The Highly Sensitive Child. You can listen to her 2021 interview on The Good Life Project, with Jonathan Fields.
You may also like to read “The Ethics of Self-Care: The importance of self-care, especially downtime, for highly sensitive people”, (January, 2020), by Dr Elaine Aron, published on Psychology Today and Dr Elaine Aron’s blog and her Highly Sensitive Person articles, published on Psychology Today.
More on the Science of Personality from Adam Grant
Listen to
’s WorkLife podcast on Your Hidden Personality (Apple / Spotify / Transcript)Check out Brian Little’s TED talk and book, Who Are You Really?
Take a free, scientifically valid personality assessment: Big Five (short 538 version or 300-question NEO version), the Hogan Personality Inventory, or PrinciplesYou, an assessment Grant helped develop to expand beyond Big Five.
With love & gratitude,
KPH
I acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which I live and pay my respects to Indigenous Elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty has never been ceded. It always was and always will be, Aboriginal land.
Jenn Granneman: there is a gofundme for Jenn’s Journey through Cancer.
Watch the full interview: Body Language Expert: Stop Using This, It’s Making People Dislike You, So Are These Subtle Mistakes!
I've been reading lately about autism spectrum, Karen, and pondering about myself. We are all wired so differently, and I am not altogether sure that the 'label' is necessary - but there are lots of possible crossovers with HSP indicators regarding sensitivities to noise, light, stimulation, movement, touch and even to proprioceptive inputs. Our amazing brains are truly complex and fascinating...though I suppose I could say body-mind because our brains aren't separate. I think I will probably keep reading and learning about this for the rest of my days!