There’s an entire spectrum of personality traits and categories that humans can fall under.
As diverse as their characteristics are, the personalities they have been grouped into are even more varied. Be it introverts, extroverts or ambiverts, people often categorise themselves under different labels on the basis of the kind of setting or interactions they prefer.
Psychiatrists have now come up with a new category apart from introvert, extrovert, and ambivert, and its meaning doesn’t really fit in any of these existing labels, quite literally. This new personality type is what psychiatrists call an otrovert.
Who Is An Otrovert?
The term otrovert is a personality type used to define people who do not belong to either the group of introverts or extroverts. These people may function socially, enjoy one-on-one interactions; however, they consistently feel outside of group identity, regardless of how welcomed they are.
The term otrovert was first coined by the American psychiatrist Dr Rami Kaminski in his book The Gift of Not Belonging. The word otrovert is composed of the prefix “otro”, which means “other.” In essence, this term is, quite literally, used to define people who do not identify themselves as either introverts or extroverts.
Dr Rami himself took to social media to describe what the term really means. The psychiatrist took to Instagram to explain the term. He explains, “When Jung invented the terms extrovert and introvert, he saw them as two fundamental orientations of the personality. I see the otrovert in the same way. A personality trait that faces away from the group.”
He further adds, “Extroverts and introverts are inherently communal, while the otrovert is an outsider to the group. In itself, it is not a problem or condition, nor is it a diagnostic label. It simply means that while most people learn to develop a sense of belonging to a specific group through social conditioning, otroverts remain social but not communal.”
This simply means that, unlike extroverts, who get their energy from being social, or introverts, who are better off by themselves, otroverts are people who participate in social interactions but also crave solitary interactions and alone time; however, they prefer not to be classified as any group and feel like outsiders.
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How Experts Explain This
According to Dr Tarun Sehgal, a senior psychiatrist at SolH Wellness, “Unlike introverts, who are comfortable being alone, or extroverts, who enjoy being in the spotlight, otroverts do best when they are with others.”
The term otroverts doesn’t capture the kind of social interaction people in this category prefer; rather, it speaks to how much they relate to the idea of belonging itself.
A 2023 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology with 1.5 million participants from almost 63 countries highlighted that 32 per cent of adults identified themselves as introverts.
However, according to Jens Asendorpf, a personality researcher at the Humboldt University of Berlin, about 90 per cent of people lie somewhere in between being an introvert or an extrovert. Together, these figures show that most people don’t fit neatly into the categories of introvertism or extrovertism, and this helps explain why terms like otrovert are emerging today.
Psychotherapist Dr Chandni Tugnait explains, “For ambiverts, social interaction is situational. For otroverts, it’s fundamental. An ambivert might enjoy a weekend alone and feel replenished, but an otrovert in the same situation may feel restless, unanchored, or emotionally adrift.”
Dr Tarun Sehgal explains, “Unlike introverts, who feel drained by socialising, and extroverts, who gain energy from it, otroverts stand apart.”
So, How to Identify If You’re an Otrovert?
Being an introvert isn’t about enjoying parties or preferring to stay alone; it is the idea of belonging to a particular group or category. One can identify as an introvert if:
- They enjoy social interactions like parties and get-togethers, but do not feel attached to larger groups.
- They like their personal time but aren’t completely skewed towards it like introverts are.
- “They often depend on the humor of others and lack their own original comedic style.” shared Dr Tarun.
- They feel “outside” existing labels of personalities as they feel limiting.
Ultimately, these labels define how people act in different situations. Understanding whether you are an introvert, extrovert, ambivert, or otrovert can help you recognise your own social needs and feel more comfortable in your interactions with others.
Images: Google Images
Sources: The Guardian, Times of India, Hindustan Times
Find the blogger: @shubhangichoudhary_29
This post is tagged under: what is an otrovert, otrovert personality, introvert extrovert spectrum, personality psychology, feeling like you don’t belong, social identity psychology, personality traits explained
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