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‘Ambiverts’ take over

“中间性格”大行其道

导读：我们常认为人的性格分为内向型和外向型。其实大部分人的性格是介于两者之间的“中间性格”。“中间性格”兼收内向型和外向型两种特征，是一种更加平衡的性格，但是“中间性格”也并不是十全十美。

For years, psychologists have divided people into two basic personality types: introverts and extroverts.

多年来心理学家一直把人的性格分成两种：内向型和外向型。

You are most likely an introvert if you don’t like crowds and enjoy keeping your thoughts to yourself. An extrovert, on the other hand, likes meeting new people and being the center of attention.考研辅导班哪个好

如果你不喜欢热闹，更愿意把想法藏在心里，那么你很可能是内向型性格。而外向型性格的人则更愿意接触不同的人，成为大家瞩目的焦点。

But have you ever felt like neither label fit quite right? In general, you crave company. But sometimes, especially after a long day at work, all you want to do is read a book or take a long bath all by yourself. If you feel this way, you are not alone. According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, experts say there’s middle ground on the personality spectrum, and people they refer to as “ambiverts” fall somewhere in between.

但你是否觉得两个标签都不太贴切?你通常是渴望有人陪伴的。不过有时候，特别是一天劳顿工作之后，你只想安静地读本书或者泡个澡。当然有这种想法的人不止你一个。《华尔街日报》的一篇文章里提到：有专家说在性格光谱中存在一种介于外向和内向之间的性格，人们称之为“中间性格”。

Entrepreneur.com says the term “ambivert” first appeared in American sociologist Kimball Young’s “Source Book for Social Psychology”. The text was published in 1927, six years after Swiss psychologist Carl Jung’s groundbreaking “Psychological Types”, which outlined his theories on extroverts and introverts. In fact, Jung identified a third category of personality traits but didn’t name it or write much about it. But he did argue that “there is no such thing as a pure extrovert or a pure introvert. Such a man would be in the lunatic asylum.”

企业家网(Entrepreneur.com)说“中间性格”的概念最早出现在美国社会学家金博尔•杨编写的《社会心理学工作手册》中。该手册出版于1927年，而六年之前的1921年瑞士心理学家卡尔•荣格出版了他开创性的经典著作《心理类型学》，书中概述了他关于外向和内向性格的理论。事实上，荣格提到过第三种性格特征，不过他没有给这种性格命名，他对此的论述也很少。但荣格确实主张“世界上没有绝对的内向性格或外向性格”的说法。因为这样的人可能会进精神病院。

Ambiverts, as the name suggests, have both introverted and extroverted characteristics. But neither trait is dominant. As a result, ambiverts have more balanced personalities.

中间性格顾名思义就是包含内向型和外向型两种特征的性格类型，不过两种特征都不占主导。因此，中间性格是一种更加平衡的性格。

Ambiverts move between being social and being alone with greater ease than either extroverts or introverts. “It is like they’re bilingual,” Daniel Pink told The Wall Street Journal. Pink is the host of “Crowd Control”, a US TV series on human behavior, and has studied ambiversion. “They have a wider range of skills and can connect with a wider range of people in the same way someone who speaks English and Spanish can.”

中间性格者比内向或外向者能更自如地游走于社交和独处之间。丹尼尔•平克是美国一档名为《人群控制》的人类行为节目的主持人，他一直在研究中间性格。他对《华尔街日报》表示：“中间性格者就像是掌握了两种语言。他们掌握的技能更多，可以和更多的人交流，就像那些既会说英语又会说西班牙语的人。”

Ambiversion has gotten more attention in recent years, thanks to books, TEDx talks and consulting firms focusing on how personality traits impact people’s behaviors in relationships and careers. More than half the US population is ambiverted, according to Adam Grant, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Grant’s research shows that roughly two-thirds of people are ambiverts, while one-third are either strong introverts or strong extroverts.

近年来很多书籍、Tedx演讲和咨询公司都在关注性格如何影响人在人际交往和工作环境中的行为，中间性格自然也受到了越来越多的关注。依据美国宾夕法尼亚大学沃顿商学院教授亚当•格兰特的说法，超过一半的美国人是中间性格。格兰特的研究表明，大约三分之二的人是中间性格，仅有三分之一的人是极度外向型或极度内向型。

Grant believes ambiverts make excellent salespeople. “Ambiverts are like Goldilocks – they offer neither too much nor too little,” he told The Wall Street Journal. This emotional acuity also gives ambiverts unique skills in personal relationships. But Grants points out that, unlike extroverts and introverts who tend to know what energizes them, ambiverts can sometimes get stuck. They are often unsure which side of their personality should lead in a given situation.

格兰特相信中间性格的人能成为优秀的推销员。他告诉《华尔街日报》：“中间性格者就像《金发姑娘和三只熊》故事中的金发姑娘——他们取道中庸，恰如其分。”敏锐的情感也让中间性格者在人际交往中自成一派。不过格兰特还指出，内向型和外向型的人清楚地知道自己的兴奋点在哪，而中间性格者则不然，所以他们有时会很被动。他们常常无法确定自己性格中的哪种特质会导致既定状况。