Imagine yourself at a huge tropical resort for a one-week vacation. Do you see yourself sticking to the poolside, taking the occasional stroll alone on the beach, maybe making one or two friendly acquaintances…or chatting people up wherever you go, quickly forming a group of summer-fun friends, and seeking out all the good parties? If you picked the first one, you just may be an introvert. And if you picked the second, you just may be an extrovert. The key word in these sentences is may - extroversion and introversion is not the black-and-white characteristic many believe it to be.

So, then, what exactly are the characteristics of extroverts and introverts? Essentially, introverts are oriented towards the inner world of ideas, thoughts, feelings, emotions, reflections and impressions. Extroverts, on the other hand, focus on the outer world of people, interactive activities, and socializing. We all know someone who fits into one of the two extremes on the introversion/extroversion scale - the outgoing, vicarious extrovert who is always the life of the party, and the quiet, reflective introvert who prefers the company of a good book. While these stereotypes exist, the fact is that we all have a little extrovert and introvert in us. We might, for example, act goofy when hanging out with our high school gang, but barely make a peep during office meetings. And we certainly go through periods in our lives where we are more reflective or more social than usual. Knowing which way we lean on the scale can help us keep a check on sides of ourselves we may be neglecting. We can develop a deeper understanding of our relationships with others. Such insight can even guide us in our lifestyle choices (such as career). The Extroversion/Introversion Test provides a glimpse into that important part your personality.