REVIEW: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking
Posted on Nov 20, 2015
One third, to one half of the population are introverts, and because advertising and media instill that the “norm” and accepted personality type is the extroverted, we are in effect led to ignore or devalue nearly 50% of our workforce and society.
Susan Cain, author of Quiet, is a former Wall Street lawyer, negotiations consultant and now writer and lecturer, as well as self-confessed introvert. In 2014 she founded ‘Quiet Revolution,’ a company designed to help managers get the best out of their introverted employees. Her TED Talk on “The Power of Introverts” was record-breaking, being the fastest video to reach 1 million views, and in itself a testimony to her own journey from crippling fear of public-speaking to champion of the unsung.
This is what Quiet is about: drawing attention to the existence and nature of introverts, explaining their different ways of processing and interacting, and even the benefits of their way of being. It’s about harnessing the power of the introverted in the workplace, family and society, and cultivating respect and understanding for the less vocal in order to get the best out these individuals.
Quiet, solitary, deliberate, shy, sensitive; these are all words mentioned in relation to introversion throughout the book, perhaps a typical description of introverts. However thinker, autonomous, insightful, profound, innovator also apply to this group. Just as extroverts can’t be lumped into one category, there is no one-size-fits-all for introverts. What is clear, however, is that by following the example of the louder members of society, the more inhibited become just that: inhibited.
Cain stresses that ‘introvert’ is a broad category, which has no specific definition. Carl Jung defines it as someone who is drawn to the inner world of thought and feeling, other psychologists suggest an introvert is someone who needs less stimulation in order to function. This personality trait affects everything, from how you socialize and exercise, to how you live and love.
This book is perhaps most useful for those who may not understand the nature of introverts. It provides examples from the workplace, marriages, families and schools, showing the conflicts that can arise from a lack of insight into the world of the introvert. Cain explores the ‘Extrovert Ideal’ cultivated throughout the 20th Century in the United States, (reportedly the most extroverted nation), through advertising campaigns, the work of Dale Carnegie and the importance of the salesman, which led to the mentality that extroversion is the way to succeed, not a way to succeed.
In contrast, we read about the quiet revolutionaries: the Rosa Parks, the Gandhis, the Steve Wozniaks, who have changed the world from behind the scenes, and without a microphone. Not everyone can take on these roles, but the point is not to emulate these historical greats, but rather to show that their temperaments are just as valuable and important.
Cain addresses the culture of the workplace that favors extroverted personalities, offering examples from famous motivational speakers, Harvard Business School (where socializing is “an extreme sport”), and many international companies. The biggest problem, quite literally (70% of companies adopt the strategy), is the ‘New Groupthink:’ the way that offices are organized around teamwork and collaboration, believing that this encourages creativity. Instead it often stifles the creativity and intellectual achievement of up to 50% of the workplace – food for thought for those who push for constant networking and collaboration. Cain notes how Microsoft and Pixar Animation Studios are noted as workplaces that have attempted to find the equilibrium between collaboration and privacy, through encouraging the creation of individual offices, and utilizing sliding doors and moveable walls to create or reduce privacy.
Of course there is a place for collaboration – for just as up to half might not react well, 50% can flourish in this environment. However Cain draws attention to the ‘silent’ party, who have an enormous amount to contribute if they can work in the right conditions, but who can be stifled if forced to work in open space environments with constant brainstorming and direct communication. Leaders in the workplace can get the best out of their employees by recognizing and respecting this diversity and looking for ways to foster the optimum environment for those who can create, invent, and develop ideas for the company, and Cain gives examples on how to go about doing so.
There are points in the book that do seem like Cain is knocking extroverted traits, where she presents research suggesting that introverts are more trustworthy, empathic, and in some cases better leaders, citing research that proactive employees function better under introverted leaders. In true introvert fashion, she has prepared well and sets out clear data, going into detail with fMRI studies (Functional Magnetic Research Imaging) and other psychology studies, which can seem overwhelming. The book drags a bit in the second half, and seems overloaded with studies and the science behind the idea, stemming from Cain’s personal interest in psychology (There are over 50 pages of notes – she has done her research). Quiet gives insights into the impacts of intro/extroversion conflict on family life and how to cultivate and nurture the ‘Orchid’ (the book’s description for those who under the right conditions might grow ‘strong and magnificent’), which may not be applicable to all readers.
What is clear as the book goes on is that the author doesn’t seek to present a dichotomy between the two personality types. She devotes a portion of the book to discussing the so-called Free Trait Theory, according to which we are born and culturally endowed with certain personality traits, but can go against or overcome these traits in the service of personal or professional projects.
This Free Trait Theory was particularly interesting to me as someone who would probably fall in the ‘ambivert’ category that Cain mentions briefly at the beginning of the book (I’ll be first in line for the ambivert handbook). She goes on to detail the Snyder Self-Monitoring Scale, which indicates how well-disposed we are to ‘faking it’ and playing a role depending on what situation we find ourselves in, again perhaps more useful for those who don’t identify with introverted traits. Cain describes these as people who can ‘fake it’ in certain situations, but who will then need to re-center and recuperate, providing insight into why your introverted colleagues, employees, friends, and family members needs to withdraw for a while after socializing.
‘Figure out what you are meant to contribute to the world and make sure you contribute it’
Cain concludes the bestseller echoing the sentiments of Polonius in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where he declares ‘to thine own self be true,’ or in other words, be loyal to your best interests. If that means as an introverted entrepreneur, attending the networking breakfast, or as an extroverted student, knuckling down to the task at hand, in order to achieve a goal, then do it.
They might be quiet, but introverts are worth listening to.
To find out where you fit on the spectrum, take Cain’s informal quiz on her website.
Flora McFarlane
About this book:
Title: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
Author: Susan Cain
Publisher: Broadway Books (2012)
Paperback: 271 pages
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