“Quiet Strength and Bold Energy” Unraveling Psychological Dynamics of Friendship among Mismatched Personalities

Abstract

Among all human relationships, friendship is the most significant one and plays a profound role in our life. The core aim of the study was to explore the fascinating picture of human connection of interpersonal closeness among the friends having mismatched personalities; and further, how these introvert-extrovert friends mold each other to reach the harmony, quality and flexibility in their friendship. The study utilized exploratory qualitative research to examine the intricate nature of uneven human interaction. Sample was recruited on the basis of personality type screening and acquaintance pairs. Screening was done on a sample of 7 mismatched pairs of friends through 11 items Myers Briggs Type Indicator from which only 5 pairs reached at the cut off score. Further, the sample was confined to 3 pairs since data was reached at saturation point. The obtained data was transcribed and codes were extracted using content analysis (Humble, 2015; Lapan et al., 2012). The results revealed 5 themes majorly; interpersonal interactions, emotional approach, altruism, friendship envy, and rejection sensitivity. Current study concluded that Introverts and Extroverts make great friends, with the key to their friendship lying in mutual understanding and genuine affection for each other. The current study benefits in understanding complex human behavior in different relationships.