Quiet by Susan Cain - A Book Review

If the task of the first half of life is to put yourself out there, the task of the second half is to make sense of where you’ve been.Susan Cain’s book Quiet – the power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking has been an insightful and delightful read. And I am not an introvert. For starters you can find out if you are an introvert or extrovert or an ambivert (yes that word exists) by taking this quiz that Susan created. There are many sites that have tests for you to take.Daniel Pink, the author of To Sell Is Human has a free test for you to know if you are an ambivert. Read the review of his book here.Some research shows that almost half of the world is made up of introverts. Some nations are famous for their introversion. Finland is one of them. The joke about Finns in Quiet says, “How can you tell if a Finn likes you? He is looking at your shoes, instead of his own.”Yet there are myths about introverts. The biggest one is that they are shy and avoid meeting people. We tend to label shy people as introverts. They are different. In a meeting a shy person and an introvert may both be quiet, but their reasons could be different. The shy person fears social disapproval. The introvert simply prefers environments that are not overstimulating. Extroverts thrive in loud, noisy, crowded and high octane environments that drive introverts crazy.Some people drink endless cups of coffee. Some will say that having coffee makes it hard for them to sleep. The same holds true for introversion or extroversion. Extroverts get energized by meeting people. Introverts need quiet time to charge their batteries at the end of a day of meeting people. The introvert will not hesitate to talk about the most intimate details of his life with the passenger on the next seat in a flight. If you don’t know something about an introvert, it is because you have not been told.Introverts need less of outside stimulation to function well, be it lesser number of people or quieter workplaces. Extroverts prefer to be with people as they find it energizing. Introverts feel drained if they have to meet too many strangers and do small talk. Extroverts tackle assignments quickly and make fast (often rash) decisions while they may be multitasking. Introverts have higher powers of concentration and work slowly and deliberately. Even in social styles, introverts express themselves better in writing than talking. Introverts will indulge in small talk after they have discussed something in depth. Extroverts start with small talk.Can introverts make successful sales people? Can they be effective leaders? Can they negotiate hard enough since they do not thump the table or raise their voice? The answer is a resounding yes. Gandhi was an introvert and yet led such a large movement. After a day of meeting people and addressing crowds, he regained his energy by reflecting and meditating – all tell tale behaviors of an introvert. He believed, “In a gentle way you can shake the world.” (My article on Career Choices based on personality)One of three people is an introvert says Susan’s research. Yet, we often ignore and fail to leverage the power of the introverts. This book is really about understanding the almost silent ways in which introverts operate. Even in organizations, we idolize people who can speak spontaneously, backslap strangers and who visibly demonstrate action. That really puts the introverts at a disadvantage. Introverts are uncomfortable in offices without walls, unabashed self promoting behavior and visibly appearing confident by monopolizing the conversation.Susan Cain’s book Quiet is a must read for introverts. They will feel a sense of relief that it is possible to not behave like an extrovert to be successful. Many introverted CEOs have quietly led successful organizations without any hoopla. Extroverts must read the book too. They will understand why some of their team members don’t always join the team bonding events or jostle for air time in meetings. As she says in her manifesto, “Everyone shines, given the right lighting. For some, it’s a Broadway spotlight, for others, a lamplit desk.”If you are an introvert, the book will make you walk tall. This is a book that you have waited for. If you are an extrovert, you will feel a little sheepish about how much you have missed by ignoring introverts around you. Read the book.-------------------Talkback:If you are an introvert child who was raided by extrovert parents, what was it like?Do organizations make it harder for introverts to succeed?Leave your comments hereJoin me on Twitter @abhijitbhaduri----------From the Times of India blog <click here>