That is what we've been mulling over, discussing and arguing about at times in our household. Right now, in those of us over 15, we have two extroverts, and three introverts. One of our introverts is the quiet type (meaning she doesn't complain when forced into social activities not of her choosing). The other two are vocal (meaning they express their displeasure at being "forced" to attend or host something without a lot of notice). Of course the two extroverts are definitely vocal and are frequently looking for places to go and things to host at our house.
How do you make that work? My husband is an introvert and I am an extrovert. We have been married for 24 years and 1 day and I can attest to the fact that it has caused tension in our marriage on more than one occasion. At first I wasn't aware of what the difference was, but now that I know it has a name...I still don't understand it :)
My husband and daughter have been trying to get us to understand what an introvert is all about. We've discussed it and read articles together. I think I understand the concept, but as a person who likes to be around people, I just don't "get it".
What I do understand is why family vacations over the past years have had their moments of tension. Hmm, do we explore nature or go to that loud, crowded place? Do we go downtown and see the city sites, or take a drive down the country roads? I finally understand that! All future vacations will definitely have to have more planning and some give and take to avoid people being unhappy.
The rest of the time this only becomes an issue on weekends. Some weekends are out of our control, as in we have so many events we have to attend that there isn't any time to choose to do something. On those rare weekends where we have nothing, we're usually so tired we all agree that staying home is the best option. Once in awhile, however, my daughter and I are in the mood to visit with families or have someone over for dinner. This is usually met with a grumble if not planned out far in advance. I'm trying to understand, really I am. Fortunately, we're busy until August, so I'm sure it won't be an issue until then :)
