Introverts are people who have low levels of extroversion. They can often feel drained after social interaction with people in big or small groups. They may prefer spending more time alone, more time in solitude.

Everyone has different amounts of either introversion or extroversion within them. You could be an introvert if your parents genetically passed down traits, or it may be influenced by the environment you grew up in, or life experiences you have. Someone doesn’t have to be shy to be an introvert; being an introvert is more about how your social battery comes and goes.

On the other hand there are empaths. Empaths are people who feel additionally empathetic towards other people. They feel emotions on a deeper level and are very sensitive. They reflect the emotions that people around them are experiencing. For example, if an empath’s close friend lost a loved one, the empath would be able to put themselves in the shoes of the close friend and feel their pain. Like introverts, however, they can also feel uncomfortable in crowds.

There are many similarities between introverts and empaths however, they can be very distinct. An introvert doesn’t have to be highly sensitive, while an empath does. An empath can get overstimulated by things going on around them, like introverts, but often more through sensitive emotions rather than discomfort. Empathetic people have intuitive abilities and can absorb emotions. Introverts have a harder time with conflict andhave less of a need for extroversion.