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We are born with personality traits that develop in early childhood. By the age of one, parents can likely see the development of temperament and personality in their children. Whether they are shy or outgoing, if they are active or sedentary, what foods they like and what they like to do to be entertained.

The development of personality is a fascinating thing. Our innate tendencies want to lead us into a certain direction. That mingles with our life experiences which further mold us into who we are and what our personality reveals. When it comes to socializing, we tend to fall into three main categories

• Introvert
• Extrovert
• Ambivert

These categories refer to a set of characteristics that determine our socialization preferences and how each of us gets our energy. Think of them as a continuum with introvert on one end and extrovert on the opposite and ambivert somewhere in the middle. Let’s take a look-

Introverts experience life from within – Introverts are internal processors who get their energy from being alone. As a matter of fact, introverts are drained by being in group settings and may require long stints of time alone to recover from the over stimulation of being with too many people.

One of the key things to note about introverts is they are not by definition shy or anxious. These traits are not indicative of introversion. Introversion has more to do with how people process and restore or generate their energy. Some studies show that introverts have a higher receptor in their brains for stimulation therefore they require time alone to reduce the level of stimulants in their environment.

Extroverts experience life in groups – Extroverts are people-loving, group participating, and outgoing people who thrive having social experiences. They get their energy from socializing and can suffer depression if left alone too long.

Some of the misconceptions about extroverts is they want to be the center of attention. This can confuse their enthusiasm for arrogance, which isn’t the case. Extroverts aren’t trying to steal the limelight; they just want to be in the thick of things.

Ambiverts are happy either way – Ambiverts are somewhere on the spectrum between intro and extroverts. They have a healthy desire for alone time and social time. They are equally comfortable being in a crowd or alone. Either exposure is fine with them and they can regulate themselves and balance being alone and being social with ease.

Your personality will influence how you socialize. If you are introverted, you’ll likely respond well in social situations that include a small group setting with close friends. Extroverts will seek out crowds and high-energy activities while ambiverts are happy with anything that suits their mood.

Knowing what your personality is and how being social can affect you will help make sense of how you feel when you are socializing. Pairing the right type of socialization with your personality type will make sure you have the best time whether you are with lots of people or just a few.