Throughout high school one of my friends and I would exchange books with one another, despite the fact that we tended to read completely different genres. For Christmas and our birthdays (only a couple days apart) we would buy each other books as our gifts. As dramatic as it sounds, senior year he lent me a book that changed my life: "Quiet" by Susan Cain. Prior to reading this, I considered myself an introvert. I had always been shy, quiet, and wary of large groups of people. But I hadn't realized just how much introversion affected my everyday life.
Cain explores every aspect of life and how it differs for introverts as compared with extroverts: work, relationships, social situations, etc. She explains how much of education and the workplace is built around extroversion, with the popularity of open work spaces, groups of desks together in pods for elementary school children, and group work, both in school and the workplace. Often, good leaders are seen as the extroverted people that have the social finesse to be at the center of the room, entertaining everyone, while the introverts are overpowered. Cain goes into detail about how introversion impacts relationships, both romantic and platonic, with the need for alone time, feeling overwhelmed by large crowds or too much socializing, and doing everything to avoid conflict.
Reading this book made me understand myself a little better, but made me a bit nervous about college. How would I share a room, my safe haven from having to pretend to be extroverted, with a stranger? How would I have a social life when so much of the college social life is centered around being around a lot of people? Luckily, Res Life matched me up with someone equally as introverted. Sometimes, I reread this book when I feel like I need to be more outgoing, more social, and it helps. I stop feeling guilty about staying in my room after a long day of classes, work, and club meetings to watch Netflix. It reminds me why eating meals in the dining hall during the peak lunch time is overwhelming sometimes. It's clearer to me why I despise group work so much.
After the popularity of her book and TED talks, Cain and other introverts have started The Quiet Revolution, an organization that aims to help introverts see the power in their introspection and provides resources to help extroverts understand their introverted loved ones. With a class for parents of introverted children, a conference for introverts to learn how to empower themselves in the business world, and articles for everyone to better understand introversion, they are reaching out to all possible venues to make their mark on the world.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Find out here.
