So, I plan to talk for fifteen minutes about characters. Not just any types of characters, though, I'm planning to talk about the three types of people who form every character out there. I'm probably going to screw it up, but I don't really care.

So, without further ado: Timer Set.

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The first types of characters fall under the category of Introverts. By a psychological definition, Introverts are people who gain energy by being alone or with a small group of friends. Small not meaning like ten--small here means about two to four people. They need time to recharge after social situations that involve more people than that and they're not very sociable when they're out of energy.

Most people think that introvert means shy--that is a lie. A poor one at that. While some introverts MAY be shy, being introverted does not make one shy. Shy means someone is reserved or shows nervousness or timidness in front of people. By that, shy doesn't mean introverted and when people assume that they're normally wrong. So, right off the bat, if your character is called introverted just because they're shy or the other way around, you've made a mistake that needs to be corrected.

Another common mishap with introverted characters is that people will have them go into social situations and one of two things will happen: A. They'll have no fun and be a buzzkill. B. They'll have lots of fun but later need no downtime to regain their energy and are just fine.

Both of these are wrong in many ways. A is wrong because it's not right to assume that just because someone doesn't gain energy from social situations they automatically hate them. While yes, some introverts can dislike social situations a lot of them can and will still go to them. B is wrong merely because that breaks the entire definition of an introvert. They can have fun, yes, but they will definitely need time to recharge after that happens.

Okay, now (because I'm writing on my iPod and am running out of time) Extroverts.

Extroverts are, by a psychological definition, people who gain energy by being around other people. This doesn't mean like one or two, this normally means ten people, twenty, or even more than that. They're typically outgoing, but that's not to say that everyone who is an extrovert is outgoing. Actually, there's even two ways to spell the word: Extravert and extrovert. Extravert isn't too wildly known nowadays, though, save for the psychological community. They gain energy by being around other people, which means they can lose energy by being alone and usually are found among other people.

There's this thing going around that says extroverts basically are the people who talk too much and annoy others--that's not the case. Some extroverts may be like that but not all extroverts talk a lot and most are not said to be annoying.

Just because you have a character that likes to talk to people or go to social events doesn't mean that they're going to be extroverts. Introverts can also like talking to people and going to social events. Unlike the extrovert, who gains energy by this--meaning it makes them 'charged up'--the introvert will simply need time afterwords to be by themselves so that way they can recharge before going about their day. They will be exhausted after long periods of time with others, but extroverts will simply be just fine spending their entire day with others and doing social events.

Often in books, extroverts are characterized as people with no empathy or people who don't understand introverts and thus are bullies. It's also said that introverts can never be bullied and that all bullies are extroverted. Both of these are not correct and are very misleading and, frankly, rude. Extroverts can carry the same amount of empathy for people as introverts and introverts can also bully people. Extroverts who learn about introverts can understand them and because they too lose energy they can understand them as well. Extroverts may be less likely to fully understand an extrovert, but introverts can also be less likely to understand an extrovert.

The differences there go two ways.

Lastly, there's the ambivert.

The first thing I want to address here is the thing that says: "Ambiverts don't exist and it's a term people created to feel special."

^

Nope. First off, it's been around AS LONG AS introvert and extrovert. Being an ambivert means that someone has an equal or almost equal mix of introverted and extroverted qualities. They gain energy by being alone, but also by social events. They can lose energy by either situation, though. Ambiverts aren't as wildly known because the majority of the population leans more towards one side than they do the other.

I fall under this category, which was surprising to me because before I figured I was just an extrovert until I realized that a lot of social situations really did drain me around the same amount as being by myself did. It's weird, but it also means I have a better understanding of both sides of the spectrum. Every psychological test I've ever taken has told me that I really don't lean towards other side, though I do occasionally get the "you lean 2-3% more towards introversion".

I rarely see a character who is in this, so I can't say much about it besides that it isn't a made up thing. Basically, ambiverts are people who are just like introverts and extroverts and they normally feel as though it's easy to fit in with all groups of people.

Well, my ducks have gone off. I figure it's time to quit rambling because I don't even know what I was talking about here.

Bye!

-Tess-