The Secret To Successful Marriages Between Introverts And Extroverts

The Secret To Successful Marriages Between Introverts And Extroverts

Opposites attract, as the saying goes, but how do real couples make their marriages work when their significant other has a completely different personality type?

Writer and podcast host Mike McHargue told HuffPost Live that as an "over-the top extrovert," he learned a few tricks to build a successful marriage with his wife, an "outgoing introvert."

"I talk about a third as often as I think I should. It's made me a better listener. I've learned to make plans and disclose where we are going ahead of time. And I've learned that my natural bent towards spontaneity can actually just be stressful, so I try to tone myself down," he told host Caitlyn Becker.

Kelly McMenamin, the co-founder of PixiesDidIt!, shared an introvert's perspective. She said she likes the balance that her outgoing husband brings to the relationship.

"My husband is an extrovert, and I always find it awesome because he always asks a million questions [and] when I run out of things to say, he's still talking, so I find it really helpful," she said.

The challenge is finding much-needed alone time without alienating anyone.

"The tough part, for me, is at home when he wants to continue hanging out and I'm like, 'I'd rather be by myself,' and not having that be offensive that I'd rather watch TV by myself," she said.

Watch the full HuffPost Live conversation about relationships between introverts and extroverts here.

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