Susan Cain is an introvert in a world dominated by extroverts who insist that introverts should act like extroverts. She recently wrote a book titled, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking [1]. I took special interest in Cain’s talk because I am an off-the-charts introvert.
The world constantly dominated by extroverts is a great loss, Cain asserts, because introverts, who avoid great amounts of stimulation, often “feel their most alive, their most switched on and their
[2]most capable when they are in quieter, more low key, environments. Unfortunately, our most important institutions (schools and work places) “are designed for extroverts, and extroverts’ need for lots of stimulation.”
Society has a prejudice that creativity comes from gregarious gatherings. Schools and workplaces typically assemble students and workers into groups and ask them to work “together,” even in activities such as writing. Kids that seek to work alone are seen as outliers and problems. Most teachers think of extroverts as superior students even though research shows that “introverts get better grades and are more knowledgeable.” Introverts are often passed over for leadership positions, even though they tend to be careful and avoid unnecessary risks. Research shows that introverted leaders tend to let proactive workers run with their ideas, whereas extroverted leaders tend to interfere with the process (min 6:45). At min 8:00, Cain suggests that “ambiverts” probably have the best of both worlds.
Creativity often flows from introverts, because solitude is often a crucial ingredient for creativity. She mentions Charles Darwin, who took long walks and avoided dinner parties. For introverts, solitude matters greatly. Psychology has shown that we can’t be among a group of others without unconsciously mirroring and mimicking the mannerisms and opinions of the dominant people in the room (min 10:23). it would be much better to have individuals generate their ideas in isolation, then come together as a team to share these ideas.
But American society has always favored people of action. It wasn’t always that way. We used to honor introverts, such as Abraham Lincoln, but no longer, now that we have moved to big cities, where people need to “prove themselves among groups of strangers.” We have become a culture of “salesmen.”
Cain argues that we need to give introverts the space to do their best, because society is facing many serious problems for which we need solutions. She offers these calls for action:
1. Stop the madness for group work. People should sometimes work together, but people should be also encouraged to work on their own.
2. Occasionally go to the wilderness to unplug.
3. If you are an introvert, occasionally open up and offer the world what you have to offer.
For further information on introversion, see my earlier post, “Time for Introverts to Come Out of the Closet [3].”
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