Quiet

Take a look at this TED video of Susan Cain on Quiet, which I recommend watching first, and then read the book afterwards if you're still interested on this topic of introversion.



If you're still interested, this leadership talk at Google dives into her research a little bit more.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

by Susan Cain [thepowerofintroverts.com]

I love this book. Cain has enlightened me on how people have internalized the values of extroversion and society-driven expectations that everyone should have an outgoing personality. Society has given rise to the outspoken individual usually becoming the ones rising to roles of leadership regardless if they are the ones who have the best ideas or qualifications. For me, this drives at the underlying concept beneath the social norms that drives me to be more talkative even when I don't feel comfortable doing so, and wonder why it's driving me to do so after the fact.

Introversion and extroversion is commonly stereotyped as the only two polar personality types, but Quiet delves into the deeper discussion of exploring the personality attribute as a spectrum. It's given me a better understanding of myself and where I fall in the spectrum and allowed a flash of insight into why I feel like I fluctuate between the two opposites (and rather how it's moving in between different points in the spectrum). Identifying who we are as individuals on this spectrum is critical to comprehending ourselves in forming our identity, and after doing so, allows for strategy in putting ourselves in the optimal environment with the appropriate amount of stimulation. (The idea of stimulation is explained in the book of how introverts/extroverts require different amounts of stimulation).

I have learned some considerations that I will apply into my future relationships in dealing with people as this has allowed me to open my mind in understanding how people function. What I will take most is to apply this knowledge when dealing with group dynamics and making sure to listen even more carefully to those who are quiet and making sure that the volume of those who like to talk isn't forcing me to only listen to them.