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

My rating:

« You may have known more about who you were then, than you do now. »

In this work of quiet perseverance, author Susan Cain explores in-depth the introversion/extroversion personality trait, and some related theories. She delves into the physiological and psychological make-up of introverts and extraverts in a Western society where the ‘Extrovert Ideal’ has prevailed and we are all expected to sell, even ourselves.

The author talks from personal experience, and subjects herself to multiple ‘experiments’, meets with subject matter experts, and interviews introverts over several years. She talks mainly about the US and, to a lesser extent, Asian American population in a bid to introduce cultural differences that promote/demote introversion. There was little reference to gender-specifics, which I expect would account for some of our differences, certainly in today’s western societies.

The author careful avoids common pitfalls by: treating introversion/extroversion as a fuzzy logic scale - we are who we are and that’s perfectly fine; understanding the situational factors that can cause everyone of us to act outside of our true self, either consciously or unconsciously stretching our natural abilities; promoting freedom of thought rather than presenting a guru-like approach - « Agressive power beats you up; soft power wins you over ».

Susan Cain is clearly driven and delivers a message of hope to introverts. Even if ‘Succeeding’ may mean marching to the beat of our own quiet drum, this isn’t a self-help book, it is a thought enabler, based on facts (historical and present), figures, and detailed accounts and interviews. I needed time between readings to process the dense information and many references. But then again this is not my preferred genre.

I made my way from being a shy, sensitive, introverted child, quite content to walk in the playground alone, lost in thought and daydreaming, to an adolescent rebel and the grown-up pseudo-extrovert I am today. I just had never realised the extent to which I had lost my connection with that quiet, curly haired little girl.

This book has changed the way I see myself, and, although this was not the grippiest read for me, I feel compelled to give it a whopping 5-stars for being such a well-researched eye-opener.


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