Book Review: Destigmatizing Introversion

April 25, 2012

By: Janet Hatcher, MLIS

Quiet: The Power Of Introverts In A World That Can’t Stop Talking. By Susan Cain. Crown Publishing Group, 352 pages, $28.00

If you keep an eye on bestseller lists and book reviews, you’ve likely heard of Susan Cain’s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. It has been on the New York Times bestseller list since January 2012, and at the time of writing, sits at #2 on the Globe & Mail’s. Or perhaps Cain’s name sounds familiar because you’ve seen her TEDTalk spreading across your social media accounts—according to TED founder Chris Anderson, her video “smashed” all of TED’s previous records for number of views in the first week of posting (the talk is excellent; view it here).

An Ivy-League-educated former Wall Street lawyer and a self-described introvert, Cain has been interviewed by Arianna Huffington, Forbes magazine, the Guardian, CBC, and NPR. She has written on introversion for Scientific American, Time, and Psychology Today, just to give you an idea of the buzz she is generating. Ironically, introverts, naturally averse to the spotlight, are enjoying increased favorable attention. Even publications such as Harvard Business Review and the Wall Street Journal are acknowledging the powers of the introverted, as research shows they can often deliver better outcomes as leaders than extroverts (read those articles here and here). This is heartening news, and Cain herself believes that introverts are “poised on the edge of great change.”

The concept of introversion and extroversion is nothing new, plenty has been written about it since Carl Jung first shed light on these personality traits in the early-1920s, but you haven’t read them like this before. Quiet is a charming and refreshingly cerebral addition to the well-being/self-help genre of literature (a genre I generally equate with pyramid schemes and snake oil). Quiet defies the norm; there is nary a hint of pseudo-spiritual pop psychology here. Based on 7 years of research, Cain delves deeply, and readably, into the aspects and advantages of being a creative and intuitive introvert in a society that favours charisma and alpha-ness, what Cain calls the “Extrovert Ideal.”

Anywhere from two-thirds to one half of the population is introverted, that’s one out of every two or three people(!). These numbers may shock, but that’s because most introverts admit to feigning extroversion. Cain asserts that this is because of a very deep and real bias toward them. She likens society’s view of introverts to that of women in the ‘50s, that is, second-class, yet psychiatry and neuroscience prove that this aspect of our personalities is as crucial to us as our gender or race.

Science can’t agree on a precise definition of introversion and extroversion, but what clearly differentiates the two is how they respond to stimulation and the varying levels of it that they require in order to function at their best. Introverts prefer quieter environments and intimate conversation, whereas extroverts crave more social interaction. It’s not that introverts dislike socializing, but they need alone time afterwards in order to restore their energy. They also tackle projects differently—extroverts work quickly, make fast (albeit rash) decisions, and are unfazed by multitasking. Introverts think more deliberately and are big-picture oriented. They prefer to burrow into individual tasks for extended periods of time.

Cain does a superb job of debunking the common assumptions and stereotypes of introverts (i.e. shy, misanthropic), which can cause deep psychological pain to children and adults alike. It is difficult to argue with Cain’s advice: Rather than urging introverts to act like extroverts, we should be cultivating their talents, as they are some of the most truly creative and innovative thinkers. Think Steve Wozniak, Albert Einstein, J.K. Rowling, Gandhi, Bill Gates, Charles Darwin, Larry Page, Steven Spielberg…

Quiet is an appeal to accept introverts for who they really are, but it is also a call for schools and workplaces to re-evaluate how they are structured. Today, an overwhelmingly majority of our schools and workplaces are designed for extroverts and their stimulation needs. Cain admonishes the trend toward incessant teamwork and collaboration, what she calls the “New Groupthink.” More than 40 years of research have proven repeatedly that these activities simply do not work, yet we continue to laud them, and at an increasing rate. These studies show that the most verbal and dominant person’s ideas get the most attention, even when those ideas are ineffective. In groups, people instinctively mimic others’ opinions, at the loss of what are most likely incredibly innovative ideas.

As a current job-hunter, I’ve read my share of job postings and strategic plans for all types of libraries, and there are two common buzzwords among them: innovation and collaboration. Unfortunately, these concepts are incompatible. Backed by decades of research, Cain maintains that solitude and contemplation are absolutely crucial to innovation. Librarianship has long attracted an introverted crowd—an aspect of the profession that is often denigrated, sadly—however, what better personality to have on staff in a profession that demands progress and innovation? According to Cain, “when it comes to creativity…we need introverts doing what they do best.”

Now, Cain does not call for the end of collaboration altogether, nor does she believe that people shouldn’t be pushed outside of their comfort zones, but she stresses that solitude and quiet matter a great deal more than we acknowledge. If you are prone to starting a project at work with a group brainstorming session, Cain suggests switching to a hybrid approach—allow workers alone-time for ideas first, then come together as a group to exchange them.

The niggling problem with Quiet is that it will be read mostly by introverts, when it would do introverts, and our entire society, a great service if extroverts were the book’s main consumer. After all, no matter what end of the personality spectrum you most identify with, you have a streak of the opposite in you. I challenge anyone to pick up this book and A. not be riveted, and B. not gain any insight into themselves, their partner, their children, or their work colleagues. This is highly valuable reading for first-time job-seekers to senior management.

Janet Hatcher is a proud, card-carrying introvert, who loves giving presentations and taking on leadership roles. She is currently self-employed as an editor, and volunteers as a Virtual Reference Intern for Scholars Portal and as a Rare Books Digitizer for the ROM Library & Archives. Janet graduated with an MLIS from UWO in December 2010 and seeks full-time employment in special libraries or information management. Connect with her via:

• LinkedIn: Janet Hatcher
• Twitter: @jnhatcher