‘Man could start a cult’: Wife leaves extrovert husband alone for one minute and comes back to find he’s become an instant superstar

There are two types of people in this world: those who thrive at parties and those who stand in the corner, hoping to find at least one relatable person to chat with before leaving early (if they can avoid a big awkward goodbye, even better). Since opposites attract, or so they say, these two types of people often marry each other, which makes gatherings an interesting experience.

TikTok user @elyseandco shared a fantastic party story: She goes off on her own and then sees her husband chatting with a group of people he doesn’t even know. As she wrote in the caption, “Brought my extroverted husband to an event where he knows no one. Left for a second and come back to him holding court with a bunch of randos.”

As a proud introvert who loves to socialize but then needs some serious couch/coffee/book/TV time afterward, I’m as surprised as Elyse sounds in the caption on her video: “Seriously though, how does he do it?” Other commenters were amazed by her husband’s outgoing personality. Some wrote, “Honestly jealous of this superpower” and “I genuinely see this as a talent.” Another said, “Man could start a cult.” That last one’s a haunting thought! It turns out Jelly Roll can relate to her husband, as even he commented,”This is me – I am him.”

Elyse’s husband and some courageous others have shown that sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and introduce yourself to a stranger. Not to get all cheesy, but they might become a good pal by the end of the conversation. Of course, that’s not so simple since so many people are introverted. According to a recent study, 4 in 10 Americans identify as introverts and believe extroverts have got it made. 69% said it’s good to be an extrovert when it comes to talking to a group of strangers. Those surveyed would likely be envious of Elyse’s husband!

Being an introvert can be a good thing, though. As neuroscientist Friederike Fabritius explained on CNBC.com, extroverts are more likely to agree with a crowd of people, and introverts will listen to their gut instead. 70% of those considered to be “gifted” are introverted. Introverts also can concentrate on something for many hours as they don’t mind being by themselves. Finally, introverts have gray matter in their brains that is thicker than those who are extroverted, which suggests they spend a longer time thinking.

Life is complicated and full of nuance, and just like introverts can feel comfortable talking a lot with close family and friends, extroverts can also spend time reflecting or sitting silently and reading. What if you relate to both Elyse and her chatty husband talking up a storm at the party? Great news, there’s a name for that. According to Scientific American, many are ambiverts, which is a great term. I like what Scott Barry Kaufman, a psychologist, told the publication: “There is no hierarchy of goodness when it comes to personality traits.” Sure, people will compare introverts and extroverts and claim that it’s better to be loud and outgoing than shy and quiet. But it’s so much cooler to celebrate everyone’s unique personalities instead of labeling people.

So, while understanding yourself and being cool with who you are is always a good idea, maybe the lesson here is to channel Elyse’s husband in social situations and strike up a fun conversation with a group of strangers. Doesn’t it look like he had so much fun?