Corellas flock together, gregarious by nature, foraging, bathing, flying, playing, they love being together, even when roosting for the night. It is rare to see a lone one and there’s an apparent sadness when one dies. Many animals are gregarious by nature, humans especially, whether introverted or extroverted.
You can be introverted and gregarious too, just in smaller doses, as author Karen Armstrong puts it: “I like silence; I’m a gregarious loner and without the solitude, I lose my gregariousness.” As author Susan Cain says: “To be introverted is to be concerned about how you respond to stimulation, especially social stimulation.” Or as poet Norman MacCaig once said: “I’m very gregarious, but I love being in the hills on my own.” As an extrovert I can still relate to that.
The cost is different. Introverts will feel drained after much social stimulus, whereas, while extroverts my feel tired, they will thrive on social stimulus. But both will become vulnerable because there is always a risk in social interaction to the self. We as a human community thrive better when we have social interaction, when we work together, when we can make friends, work in teams, and when we can walk alongside one another. We just need to appreciate each other’s needs more accutely in the area of personality. To be introverted is not a negative pathology, I should know I live with a household of introverts, and I get reminded. We’re all gregarious, just differently wired.
The video below of Susan Cain speaking from the perspective of an introvert may seem long at 19 minutes, but it is well worth a look.
We're in full swing you withdraw, I re-engage elementary ©Paul Cannon
Paul,
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parallax 
I am a gregarious introvert. Mostly I enjoy being alone, but when I do socialize I tend to talk a LOT!
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Aha, yes i have a friend exactly like that, amazing, alone, withdraws from social stimulation, but then reallys gets into it when he does turn up. Thanks for sharing.
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You can be introverted and gregarious, I totally agree with this point.
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Amazing isn’t it.
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Yup. 🙂
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lol I’m an extrovert who became an introvert but always been gregarious and know that we need meaningful interactions for our own well-being!
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lol indeed, though we lol together, I’m an extrovert who has engaged in teh contemplative life.
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years of solitary contemplation made me more introverted … being extrovert just now as I need to socialise in my new environment to find a park for my tiny home … nice to be comfortable with both 🙂
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great place to be balanced and aware
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taken me years but so worthwhile!
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I concur, absolutely
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Yes, it’s the learning of life really, we don’t come complete.
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oh I think we do come complete … we just need to reach inside to find it 🙂
Those who wander about seeking externally – as I have done for ages – miss the point! We are the complete package, all answers lie within …
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Which means we are and we aren’t
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yes we are but first we need to dig deep in order to connect with our inner treasures 🙂
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I remember taking one of those psychology tests and came out 50% extrovert and 50% introvert. I think we may be predominantly something but not all of us are. Most of us, I believe, are on a spectrum with a little bit of this and a little bit of that and we fluctuate as to what % of each we are depending on our age, our circumstance and our needs at a particular time. Oh and maybe who we are with or how much we have drunk (or done whatever to lower inhibitions). I find I am shyer alone except sometimes I’m not. I also find I am more outgoing when I am with good friend/s. Or in a situation when I am focused on a task like teaching a group something.
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Yes, I think spectrums are helpful and also real, and yes we are a mix, thankfully.
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