When an introvert marries into a family of extroverts
Growing up, I thought that extroverts were the interesting and confident ones, and introverts were plain and shy. Extroverts were the life and soul of the party. Introverts brought the chickpea dip and left early. Susan Cain's book Quiet changed my mind about that.
She talks about introverts and extroverts in terms of energy - as in what gives people energy, and what drains people's energy.
I'm married to an extrovert. And he comes from a long line of extroverts. They're not all loud and gregarious, but they do love to be around people. They feel energised in the company of others, and can (and do) spend whole days and evenings together creating music, playing board games, and making pizzas - without any nagging internal voices telling them to escape to somewhere quiet. Me, on the other hand...I feel exhausted an hour into their escapades. I want them to turn the music down. I want to put Pandemic away and keep their conversation to a single topic. I want them to get out of my kitchen so I can cook in peace.
I like being around people, but in small doses and low volumes. I prefer intimate chats to big family get-togethers.
The traits of introversion and extroversion are rarely considered in discussions about relational compatibility, but play a huge role in our day-to-day wellness and sense of fulfillment. You see this in high definition when an introvert marries into a family of extroverts.