A new word that is gaining popularity on various social media platforms is offering language for a feeling that many people may find hard to put into words. It is the feeling of being in a group but never fully belonging. This new word is called "otrovert" and refers to people who are outside the spectrum of introvert and extrovert.

This new word was created by American psychiatrist Rami Kaminski and is based on the observations of the people he has been working with and the personality of the doctor himself. It is the feeling of being insiders while being perceived as outsiders.

Kaminski describes them as “outsiders treated like insiders” like individuals who participate in conversations, relationships and communities, yet experience a quiet disconnect beneath it all.

Living between connection and distance

Unlike extroverts, otroverts don’t get their energy from social interactions. However, they are also not as withdrawn as the typical introverts are described to be. Instead, they exist in the spaces without completely identifying with the two extremes.

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Kaminski also addressed the issue in a video posted on Instagram, where he sought to clarify that the term was not meant to put people in a new category. “Otrovert is not a label. In fact, labeling is the very opposite of what otroversion stands for,” he said, adding that individuality was often found in spaces that were not defined.

The concept has also gained popularity, especially with the younger generation who identify with the feeling of existing in a social circle but feeling detached emotionally.

Why the term is resonating now

The increasing popularity of the word may be a reflection of a wider change in the way that people think about personality and identity.

Otroverts are also described as valuing authenticity more than acceptance. They are able to form meaningful relationships without needing them in order to feel validated. This may make them highly perceptive and empathetic, but also potentially feel out of place in familiar spaces.

This ‘in-between’ state may not be a psychological feeling of isolation, but a different way of relating to the world that values independence as much as connection.

Signs you might relate to ‘otroversion’

People who identify with the idea often share certain patterns:

Feeling like an outsider even in close circles

Participating socially but preferring emotional independence

Valuing individuality over fitting in

Being observant and reflective in group settings

These traits are not seen as deficits, but as part of a personality that resists simple categorisation.

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More than just another label

Kaminski's main claim is that "otroversion" is more about complexity than about defining people. It is about moving beyond the assumption that people must fit into existing personality definitions.

For many people, "otroversion" is a reassuring concept, but not in terms of a diagnosis, more in terms of a way of understanding a known, yet unsaid, reality.