reading

Contents

What’s it about?

Extroversion is considered desirable, introversion is unwelcome

Introverts and extroverts think and work differently. Not all introverts are necessarily shy

The extrovert ideal took shape during the early 20th century

Who makes a better leader: an extrovert or an introvert?

Extroverts are reward-oriented while introverts are threat-oriented

Workplaces must offer employees a mix of private and open spaces

Experiences can change our temperament over time

Introverts need to find their comfort zone – and then learn to step out of it

Asian cultures value restrained, thoughtful speech over aggressive extroversion

It is worth taking on a false persona only if it aligns with our core beliefs

When our kids are the opposite of us, we must avoid being judgmental and nurture their natural competencies

An extrovert/introvert relationship can work well if the couple understand and appreciate their differing personalities

Final summary

Now read the book

What’s it about?

Most people assume that the charismatic American President who enraptures audiences with his powerful speeches and easy smile is an outgoing extrovert. But in fact Barack Obama is an introvert – along with many other famous achievers past and present including Charles Darwin, Frederic Chopin, T.S. Eliot, Eleanor Roosevelt, Steven Spielberg, and Steve Wozniak. Some of the world’s greatest minds are or were introverts. There are many talented introverts amongst us: quiet and self-effacing, but with a rigor, persistence, and powerful concentration that often go unnoticed.

Unfortunately our society favors extroverts and underestimates the power of introverts. The bias exists in large part due to a lack of understanding about how introverts think, feel, and react differently from extroverts. The effect of this ignorance is that corporate America, religious institutions, and even schools and colleges cater to one personality style to the detriment of the other.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking celebrates the qualities of inner strength, resilience, and prudence that introverts possess. It also tackles the problems faced every day by introverts and shows how they can be overcome. Author Susan Cain takes us behind the scenes of famed personal development workshops, through the hallowed hallways of Harvard Business School, and inside an fMRI machine, to present the real-world stories of introverts as well as her own personal experiences as an anxiety-prone introvert. She offers fascinating insights into how different personalities are hardwired, which environments nourish and which inhibit the introvert, and, importantly, how introverts and extroverts can work together to bring out the best in each other.