It may seem odd to you to make friends with extroverts if you’re an introvert. In this article, I’ll tell you why and how you should do that.
It may seem like an odd mixture, a friendship between an extrovert and an introvert, but it has more benefits and wonders than you might think. It can be very beautiful and meaningful. Opposites attract, so they say. Extroverts and introverts draw energy from completely different things. And that very reason is why a friendship between the two can become very interesting and dynamic.
As an introvert, you most likely prefer the friendship of other introverts. It only makes sense. You feel energized from the same thing, you prefer staying at home instead of going out to party, and you understand one another on a deeper level.
You don’t get forced by a fellow introvert to go out to socialize. You’re as free as you can be in your comfort zone if all of your friends are introverts. That sounds perfect, right? All of your friends should just be introverts if you’re an introvert too. Well, I’m here to tell you why you should friends with extroverts and why you need them in your life as an introvert.
Why You Should Make Friends With Extroverts as an Introvert
Before we proceed, this article is not to say that you should only make friends with extroverts. You’re free to befriend anyone you want as long as you two can connect. That’s just the thing. You can connect with anyone whether they are introverts or extroverts.
In this article, I am going to highlight some of the benefits of having an extrovert for a friend and how beautiful it can be for you as an introvert.
1. You can diversify your fun nights
Yes, it’s fun to just stay at home, relax, read your favorite book, or watch your favorite tv series. But your every night, 7 days of the week, can’t just go like that. Sometimes, you can crave adventure too. Even as an introvert, you need the outside world to break the monotony.
This is where an extrovert friend comes in handy.
The outside world is the playground of an extrovert. If you need to go out and you don’t know where to go, your extroverted friend will help you with that. Make friends with extroverts and the outside world can be your playground too during the moments you want it.
You can stay home on most nights, but you can also go out on some nights. You can diversify your night offs and you’ll never feel like you’re stuck in a loop.
2. An extrovert can help you soar and you can help them be grounded
The relationship between you as an introvert and an extroverted friend can be very symbiotic. You both will be each other’s guiding light and support system. In terms of socializing and behavior, the two of you can keep each other in check.
An extrovert can go overboard with having fun when going out. That’s where you can help them. When their heads are in the clouds too much, you can help them be more grounded.
On the other hand, you as an introvert are prone to staring at the ground all the time. You most likely tend to lay your head too low for far too long. An extroverted friend can help you get out that bubble every once in a while and have you hold your head up high.
3. You have access to the craziest ideas
An extrovert is a machine of crazy and fun ideas. Although you prefer a more relaxed and comfortable kind of fun, doing those crazy and adrenaline-inducing things can be an exciting change of pace for you. You get to experience this excitement every once in a while if you make friends with extroverts.
Sky diving, scuba diving, mountain climbing, trekking, and other exciting recreational activities can be had with extroverted friends. They are most likely the ones to try these things out first. If you have an extroverted friend, they will attempt to invite you to do these things with them.
You don’t always have to say “yes” every time they ask, but it is on the table. Just the idea of having access to that is one of the benefits of making friends with extroverts.
4. Compromising
As an introvert, you’re going to have to compromise a lot if you’re to make friends with extroverts. This is a very good habit to have and it’s something you’ll learn deeply with extroverts.
You won’t always see eye-to-eye with an extrovert, but your difference will most likely only be exclusive to your idea of “what’s fun”. On some nights, your friend will want to do something you don’t quite enjoy and you will want something different too. Your idea of what to do at times can be conflicting, but since you’re friends, you’ll learn to compromise.
You’ll learn to enjoy what they enjoy doing and they’ll learn to enjoy what you enjoy doing. Sometimes, you don’t even have to be together. They can do their own thing and you can do your own thing. The important part is, you both understand what’s good for one another and each of you supports that.
Once an extrovert and an introvert become very good friends, it can make for a very supportive relationship between the two.
5. They will help you socialize
This is the most awesome thing you can learn when you make friends with extroverts; you get to see how they socialize with other people.
Introverts and extroverts socialize very differently. Extroverts and very outgoing and they seem like they have enough energy to go at it for a few nights in a row. Introverts will get exhausted from it very quickly.
You, as an introvert, will have glimpses of how an extrovert connects with other people. How they can carry on entertaining strangers for hours on end.
You don’t have to become an extrovert yourself, but you can learn their mindset. You can figure out how they can overcome social anxiety and reach social confidence. Your extroverted friend will not encourage you to become an extrovert but they will show you how one thinks. That’s something you can use in socializing with others.
6. Nobody will expect your friendship, and that’s the fun part of it.
Some people just don’t expect an introvert and an extrovert can be friends. That’s the fun part about this. A lot of people will be taken aback and that’s something you and your extroverted friend can just laugh about.
It’s also a good way of letting others know that if you can make friends with extroverts, you can make friends with anybody.
How To Make Friends With Extroverts as an Introvert
Now that you know why you should make friends with extroverts, now it’s time to learn how.
Below are 8 tips on how you can make friends with extroverts.
1. Be patient
Patience is a golden rule we need to follow in life. It is also very useful advice if you’re to make friends with extroverts.
You and an extrovert will disagree on certain things. If you meet an extrovert, you end up making a connection with them, you need to start being patient with them. They will want to do certain things you don’t want to do and you either have to indulge them some of the time and make them understand that you don’t want to go on the others.
As your friend, they will understand if you prefer to stay at home most of the time. They might even want to just spend time with you in your comfort zone. But during the times when you both begin to disagree on certain things, patience is very much needed.
2. Don’t be intimidated
Just because they’re different from you, doesn’t mean you have to be intimidated by them.
Just think of it this way: the only thing you and an extrovert can ever differ from is your source of stimulation. They feel excitement and energy in alert situations and you draw them from peaceful situations. That’s the only thing you and an extrovert can ever not have in common. The rest is fair game.
Knowing this, you can then surmise that you and an extrovert can also have so many things in common. You can connect with them on a very deep level and you’ll understand one another on so many other things.
3. Empathy is your most powerful tool
If you’re to make friends with extroverts, or anyone for that matter, you’ll need to know how to empathize with other people.
Empathy is your ability to put yourself in the position of others. To see things the way they see things and to feel things the way they feel things.
This is very important for you, as an introvert, in your process to make friends with extroverts.
If you can’t do the same things they do in terms of social activities, you can at least understand their perspective. Once they know you can do that for them, a friendship is highly likely to blossom then.
4. Step into their world, and have them step into yours
The worlds of extroverts and introverts are very different in so many ways. That’s why it’s very interesting when an introvert and an extrovert becomes friends. These two different worlds can converge from time to time.
You’ll get to see what it’s like to be in the world of extroverts in your moments of hanging out with your extroverted friend. Make the effort of letting them bring you in their world.
On the other hand, also make the effort to bring them to your world. Let them see the beauty and peacefulness of a quiet and relaxing atmosphere. How freeing and calming it can be. Let them appreciate your world and appreciate being in theirs.
5. Be a great listener and encourage them to talk more
Extroverts love to talk and have their ideas heard. That’s no secret. Knowing that then, you can make an extrovert subconsciously appreciate you if you encourage them to speak out their ideas with you listening intently to them.
We’ve already talked about being empathetic, now it’s time to be a great listener. Give them your full attention whenever they are speaking to you. Ask them probing questions. This encourages them to speak up more. Be interested in their stories, ideas, and who they are as a person.
You and an extrovert may be different in terms of where you draw your energy socially, but you can still connect through conversations.
6. Tell great stories and dish out great ideas
Once you’re able to make a connection with an extrovert by listening to their ideas, it’s time to impress them with some of yours too.
Learn how to tell great stories and great ideas to an extrovert. They love amazing stories and ideas and you need to be able to tell them good ones.
Share experiences from your childhood. Paint a picture of how you became to be through your stories. Tell them about who you are and share with them your most fascinating ideas.
Let this be an exchange between the two of you. An extrovert will always share stories and ideas with you and you need to reciprocate this as well.
7. Acknowledge your differences
Yes, you and extrovert are different kinds of people. There’s no need to deny that difference. You can acknowledge it.
You need to let them know that you’re an introvert from the get-go. That’s something they need to know early on as an extrovert. If they’re cool, then it’ll be easier to create a connection with one another.
If you acknowledge your differences, that will never become a hindrance to your friendship. They’ll never try to make you become one of them and they’ll understand and appreciate you for who you are.
8. Be the one to ask them out every once in a while
In a friendship between an introvert and an extrovert, it is more likely for the extrovert to be the one to bring up going out. Break this norm and ask them out too.
Only do this when you feel like going out. Chances are, you’ll take them by surprise so much that they won’t hesitate to agree to your invite. This will also make them feel like you’re attempting to do things on their end of the spectrum, which they’ll appreciate a lot.
They will also reciprocate this by offering to just stay in one of these days. They will also attempt to do things your way. Once that dynamic begins to happen between you and an extrovert, then you’ll know that you’ve made an extroverted friend.
Improve Your Social Skills
The best way to make friends with extroverts is to simply improve your social skills overall. If you know what to do when it comes to socializing, you’ll never have a problem befriending anyone regardless if they’re extroverted or introverted.
To learn how to improve your skills, refer to the other articles I have on this site. Those will help you improve your other social skills like conversation, empathy, understanding, and so on.
Once you’ve read them and you feel like you’ve learned enough, finally go out there to meet people. You’ll be able to get the friends you want and yes, that includes making friends with extroverts. Good luck!