First of all, how do you know if you are an introvert or not? Introverts draw energy and 'recharge' by spending time on their own. It takes energy for an introvert to be with people and to socialize. By being with people they are 'giving' their energy to socialize. Extroverts, on the other hand, feel energized by interacting with people. They take in energy when they socialize and it recharges them.

One of the most common misconceptions about introverts is people often associate shyness with being an introvert. People usually think shy people are introverts and that introverts are really shy. That is not always the case. Sure, introverts are more likely to be shy when it comes to meeting new people or being in front of people they aren't too close to. But a lot of the times extroverts can be shy as well. On the other hand, some introverts are not shy when it comes to meeting people. Somehow people tend to think that someone they've just met who isn't very chatty is shy. That's not always the case. Extroverts may be shy when meeting someone new, and introverts are well capable of warming up to people quickly.

Another common thinking is that introverts are anti-social. Anti-social people can be introverts, but not all. Introverts can be anti-social, but not all. Introverts prefer to listen and observe, while extroverts prefer to be more active in socializing. Introverts look at their listening and observing as socializing too, even it they don't always contribute to conversation as much as extroverts. If you know someone who is an introvert, you may notice that sometimes he/she may go quiet after talking to people or socializing for a while. At that point it would mean that some downtime would be much appreciated. Some people mistake this as being anti-social, or might even misinterpret that as a mood swing or getting angry. Introverts take energy from themselves to socialize, so after a period of time they may feel the need to listen more and interact less.

In today's society, people see extroverts as being 'more intelligent' and are sometimes more 'prized' than introverts. What a lot of people are not aware of is introverts are not any less intelligent just because they don't have as many things to contribute to conversations or because they interact less actively with people. Introverts tend to be more aware of surroundings and people, allowing them to take in more information, oftentimes information that people usually do not notice. Because of this, they are sometimes able to be more of a 'chameleon' when it comes to portraying themselves. Depending on the company, introverts are able to behave like extroverts and with the information that they usually take in while observing, strike interesting conversations. They often notice the different behavioral traits of people around them, and are able to use what they learn to their advantage.

There are many interesting things about different personalities, more than just being introverts and extroverts. If you happen to be unsure of what your personality type is, I find the Myers Briggs personality tests to be fairly accurate. Of course, you do have to be honest when answering questions on personality tests to get a more accurate reading. I just find things of this nature to be extremely fascinating. For now though, it is goodnight.