I find a lot of interactions draining and absolutely need to recharge with quiet time alone, but there are times when they have a net positive effect on me, even if there is some discomfort. I am thinking of times when I worked alone, that I'd make up excuses to go talk to people to liven myself up. Also, on some really down days, I've been significantly cheered up by acts of kindness by random strangers.

I think one of the questions I had problems with on the Myer's Briggs (I missed two, both from the I/E scale), was something like the choice between spending a free evening at a party or reading a book and some in between options. Well funny but the in betweens didn't appeal, but both of those two did and about the same.