I was part of a conversation about this article, on Karl Moore's book on introversion/extroversion in the church.
https://faithandleadership.com/karl-moore-ambivert-leaders-are-more-effective
God made us different and that's okay. I say this as one who tends toward introversion and also loves people and can operate well in an extrovert's context. It's useful to be able to adapt one's behavior away from one's natural tendencies on occasion while, as Karl Moore says here, also seeking rest in the way that works for you. And as he says, it's common for introverts to excel at certain kinds of face-to-face interaction, including public speaking.
What isn't so helpful is extroverts insisting that everyone become more extroverted so as to fill their own personal need for company, nor for introverts to completely retreat from challenging group interactions because that's more comfortable for them. I've found myself doing that from time to time and I try to be mindful of it.
Maybe we can help each other find our strengths here, too. Maybe it's easier for an introvert to learn how to have a deep one-on-one conversation in which they listen well when the conversation is about what the other person needs to say. Maybe it's easier for an extrovert to function well for long hours in a crowd with constant unpredictable interactions. We don't all have to be alike, and we can complement one another in lots of ways; maybe we can discover those complements and help one another to thrive.
#introvert #extrovert #intravert #extravert #ambivert #church #churchLeadership