This week, I’ve invited a friend to the blog!
Building confidence in yourself and your alone time requires a thorough understanding of what it really means to be ‘social’, and how different social preferences are important to different people. My friend Brooke, who’s social experience is very much different from my own, exists in what she calls the social ‘middle ground’, and is here to talk about this experience.
Hello all! My name is Brooke, you may know as the Conscious Black Woman from DOACBW and I’ll be a guest on DeHaan Solo this week.
When many people meet me, they believe that I am 100% extroverted. They think I strive to be the centre of attention and I am most comfortable in large groups of people. However, I don’t feel that way. I don’t mind being the centre of attention and I’m most comfortable in a small group of my close friends/family.
An ambivert is defined as a person whose personality has a balance of extroverted and introverted traits. So I love to be around people and I enjoy parties, but I love to be alone as well. The key to this that separates me from an extrovert is that all large interactions must have an expiration where I have time to recharge. This is when my energy is able to refresh itself and I can reflect on my experiences with others and most importantly, with myself.
The truth is: it’s hard being in a world that doesn’t shut up. Extroversion is highly valued in almost every facet of life so while I am content in the spotlight, it certainly isn’t my favourite place to be. I think more people should understand that they don’t have to pick a side. I love the between where I am able to feed off the energy of those around me and regenerate that energy when I am alone –
– I call this place: the middle ground.
DeHaan Solo 
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