The Value of Quiet in a Loudmouth World
Author Susan Cain talks about her new book, Quiet, with Midwinter attendees in Dallas.
Cain seen here on a jumbo screen behind the stage. The author talked to an audience of roughly 300 people about the power of introverts in a culture that values extroversion.
PrintOne out of every two or three Americans is an introvert, said Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. Cain addressed a crowd of roughly 300 people on January 21 at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Dallas, where she noted that many people in the US hide their introversion because we see ourselves as a nation of extroverts—“bold, alpha, and comfortable in the spotlight.”
Cain began her professional career as a corporate lawyer on Wall Street but quickly realized that she possessed none of those traits. As a lawyer, she often used a constructive tone and thoroughly prepared for negotiations, types of approaches, she said, that were very different from other attorneys she knew. But those skills proved valuable—particularly because they were different.
Initially, Cain thought her mild-mannered demeanor had to do with being a woman, but the closer she looked, the more she saw that it was a byproduct of individual temperament. Introverts get better grades in school and know more about a wide range of topics, but they’re no more intelligent or have higher IQs than extroverts, she said. Instead, it’s a behavioral difference, especially one that involves the ability to work alone. She cited Charles Darwin, who, as part of his research, compared the veins of various leaves. “What extrovert would do that?” she said to a giggling room.
Cain noted that introverts and extroverts are also present in the animal kingdom, primarily to help the species survive. Fruit flies have “sitters” and “rovers,” and researchers have also found that pumpkinseed fish exhibit similar personality types in which extroverted fish race toward traps and introverted ones have been impossible to catch.
Aside from having an intellectual advantage, introverts also have advantages in creativity and risk management, Cain said. With risk management, “Extroverts will seize the day, and introverts will be the ones to make sure there’s a day left to seize.” Warren Buffet, she said, is a good example of this because he takes risks but does so in careful, calculated ways. In terms of creativity, she said that Dr. Seuss found inspiration for his whimsical stories and characters when he was alone. “Solitude is an important catalyst toward creativity,” Cain said.
The three ideas Cain said she wanted to convey are that (1) we need to call for a world with peace and quiet; (2) we need to cultivate the talents of children who are introverts so they know it’s okay to be different; and (3) introverts and extroverts need each other.
For educators, Cain encouraged a balance between individual projects and group work. When there is group work, she suggested the groups be small and well managed, with each member given a specific role. For managers who are frustrated with the lack of participation from introverted employees, Cain suggested they give advance notice of meetings, make agendas available ahead of time, and revisit points at the end of a meeting and ask colleagues for input (or have them follow up with written comments afterward).
Introversion, Cain said, “is not antisocial; it’s a different social.”
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Comments
According to Laurie Helgoe,
According to Laurie Helgoe, Ph.D, in her book Introvert Power, introverts comprise 57% of the American population. This was discovered in 2001 when a true representative sample of the population was studied. Helgoe went in search of Isabel Myers-Briggs’ original data to ascertain how her famous estimate of introverts being 1/3 to 2/5 of the population could be so far off the mark. She found that Myers-Briggs’ original sample was entirely comprised of young white men of high school age - a laughably inadequate sample, even by the research standards of 50 years ago. More stunning is her finding that, until the 1990s, most subsequent researchers simply proceeded from the assumption that Myers-Briggs’ estimate was true, making fools out of themselves and everyone who has had pretensions to expertise in this area.
It is too bad that the ALA
It is too bad that the ALA didn’t invite Diana Senechal to speak on her book Republic of Noise: The Loss of Solitude in Schools and Culture, which also appeared in January. It would have provided a fascinating contrast to Cain’s.
Like Cain, Senechal criticizes the overemphasis on group work in schools, workplaces, and everyday life. But she goes far into the subject of solitude, weaving literature, philosophy, mathematics, theology, and other subjects into her discussion.
Senechal is skeptical of movements, especially a solitude movement. She argues, instead, for subtle shifts that come from good judgment. The surrender of good judgment, she says, is deadly for education and other areas of life.
Cain’s book may appeal to those who take comfort in an introvert identity or find some enlightenment in it. Senechal’s will appeal to those who couldn’t care less whether they are introverted or extroverted—who take more interest in the stuff that pulls the mind apart from the crowd, the stuff that makes solitude interesting.
The Highly Sensitive Person
In a similar vein is Elaine Aron’s book The Highly Sensitive Person about her lifelong research into introverts. Not a bad thing, just differnt!
http://www.worldcat.org/title/highly-sensitive-person-how-to-thrive-when…
introverts
Interesting that this author/speaker uses a 1 out of 3 ratio of introverts to extroverts. Myers/Briggs trainers I’ve had have said 20 percent or 1 in 5.
In librarianship I suspect it’s more the reverse. 80 percent introverts, 20 percent extroverts.
My “peeps!”
Sounds Great, Glad I Wasn't There
I would have enjoyed hearing this presentation. A lot.
But I’m an introvert and really, really can’t stand the crowds, the noise, the chatter, the endless networking that are what attracts other people to ALA meetings.
So, I’ll buy the book and add it to my personal library — or get it on ILL maybe.
Recognizing my own gift of introversion, by the way, led me out of a college library directorship (stressful) and into a small library tech services position (enriching and fulfilling). Kind of wish I’d learned this earlier on.
Invisible
When I was younger I just thought I was very shy and I called myself invisible. Now that I am older and hopefully wiser, I recognize that I am an introvert and an observer. Neither of which should ever be confused with being weak. I was once denied a promotion because one person thought I was too nice and couldn’t cut it as an administrator. I am now an administrator at a small community college and I can stand up to any extrovert and get the job or jobs done. Althought sometimes I still like to disappear. Thank you Susan Cain.
Introversion
I wish I had learned about introversion When I was a child. I went through life knowing that I was completely different from everyone else around me. I knew I was some kind of freak. I eventually became comfortable with myself and just kept to my quiet little self. Intellectually, I was far ahead of my class. I read books while the teacher was giving help to the others in the class. When I got to high school, I was exempted from final exams in order not to “mess up” the grading curve. When I graduated I went to college, The draft was in effect at this time and I knew that I did not want to go to war. But I had never been challenged intellectually and I failed a five hour math class because I did not know how to study.
In my mid 40s, after the advent of personal computers, I stumbled across Myers-Briggs tests. I tested as an INFP. I read the description and it was a revelation! This described me almost perfectly. But this did nothing to heal the scars of failed educational systems, lost jobs, broken friendships, and failed relationships.
Yeah, I’m pissed.