Big and small. Sweet and salty. Introverts and extroverts. Some things are opposite, but that doesn’t mean they don’t go together. You may be an extrovert and your spouse may be an introvert (or vice versa) but that doesn’t automatically mean your marriage won’t work. While it may be a little more difficult than if you and your spouse are both either an extrovert or an introvert, being opposite in a marriage can work.
Understand the difference
You may think that you and your spouse are opposite, but that may not be the case. An extrovert gets energy from a social situation whereas an introvert gets energy from alone time.
Don’t compare friendships
Typically, introverts have smaller groups of friends and some extroverts don’t understand that. Extroverts may not understand why someone would only want to have a few friends, but for some introverts a few friends that’s all they need.
Schedule date nights
While the two of you may not like to do the same exact things, it’s important to find common ground and do those activities together. It may be going for walks, doing a particular hobby, or even watching a show together. Whatever it is, find something that you both enjoy doing and bring that into your date nights.
Be alright with doing different things
The extrovert may want to visit the newest local restaurant, and the other may want to stay in and read a book. That’s ok. The two of you won’t always agree on what to do on a particular evening, so it’s ok to do different things. Do what makes you happy, but also make time for each other. It’s called balance.
Make a plan for going to parties
It should come as no surprise that an introvert may want to leave a party after a short amount of time, while the extrovert may want to stay and mingle until the end of the gathering. You and your spouse can navigate these types of scenarios by creating a game plan before going. Whether it’s that the extrovert gets a ride home from a fellow party-goer later, one of you takes a taxi, or you drive separately. It doesn’t matter how you choose to get home, as long as you both understand the game plan. This way no one party feels bad about their choice.
There you have it! 5 ways to make a marriage between an introvert and an extrovert work. What about you? If you and your spouse are opposite, how do you deal? Let us know in the comment section below.
As always, we are here to help.