Recently, I read "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain. The book ranges in topics from the physiological differences between introverts and extroverts, to how introverts experience the world, to the way societies are structured. It includes some practical advice for introverts, but primarily focuses on what introversion is, what makes it valuable, and how introversion is marginalized in business and society.
I found the focus on society unusual at first as I think of introversion as a personal experience. But Cain's focus on society, in particular, its measures of success, engagement, and value is core to her argument that introverts play an undervalued role in the world. She notes that, prior to the 20th century, you were measured by your character, by how good a person you were on the inside. Once we started living in cities and interacting mostly with people we don't know, how you were viewed by strangers was most important. You got ahead by being likable and sociable, by making a good impression on people, rather than by being a good person, which is difficult to measure during a brief meeting. This gave rise in the U.S. and other western cultures to what Cain calls "the extrovert ideal".
The examples Cain gives in demonstrating the extrovert ideal are stunning because they ring so true. In the classroom, being popular and well-liked is admired. In high school, I didn't want to be popular because I saw those kids as shallow and fake, but I was also keenly aware of my standing on the popularity ladder. In the workplace, voicing opinions loudly and with conviction is seen as leadership. Cain has study after study to back this up; people unconsciously assume that forceful, unwavering statements are more correct than those made with quiet, more tentative voices, regardless of the correctness of the content. This can have a huge impact on the direction of work projects or companies as a whole, so Cain advises the extroverts to listen more and introverts to speak up more.
Beyond the interactions with society, "Quiet" also discusses the biological differences between introverts and extroverts. The brains of introverts are wired differently in ways that affect how we process neurotransmitters like dopamine. Extroverts are less sensitive to dopamine, Cain explains, so they need more stimulation to feel its effects which leads extroverts to crave new experiences and activities. By contrast, introverts are often highly sensitive to new experiences, which is why we are easily overwhelmed when we don't have enough time to process the new information. Though I don't have the background to fully appreciate the neurological differences, I found it fascinating.
Introverts often have a strong desire for solitude and Cain has several studies supporting the idea that solitude is highly beneficial or even required for creative work. From writing and art to engineering, Cain cites studies showing that more and more different ideas are generated when people work alone, even extroverts. The idea of "brainstorming" to generate ideas is a 20th century invention. I understand the need to talk through ideas with your peers; they can help you spot problems or add insights to your idea, but the most creative work is best done in solitude.
"Quiet" is filled with studies, statistics, and surveys which may make it unapproachable to extroverts. This is unfortunate since the book seems to aimed equally at introverts and extroverts, but with very different goals. For introverts, the book comes across as "rah-rah introverts! We're awesome and don't let anyone tell you otherwise." This often hastily followed by "but it's okay if you're not an introvert" or "this is a generalization, but..." The descriptions of introverts' unique talents and view of the world are important information for extroverts to have, so that they might understand where we're coming from, but I don't know if this book is the right way to communicate it. I wish all the extroverts in my life had the information in this book, but I don't know that they would have the patience to sit through it.
This is the second book on introversion that I've read. The first was "The Introvert Advantage" by Marti Olsen Laney which is a much more personal book than "Quiet". Where "The Introvert Advantage" focused on personal coping strategies, practical advice, and interpersonal relationships, "Quiet" focuses on introverts in society and whether not we should have to adapt to its extrovert ideal. For me, this was the ideal sequence to read these books. "The Introvert Advantage" was enlightening and immediately useful while "Quiet" gave me much more food for thought on how I fit into the world.