Quiet- Susan Cain
A book about quiet people – I never thought that’d be interesting! You’ll be wondering if it has much to say about people who don’t say much. Well, it has a lot to say…
Are you that quiet guy in your group of friends? The person who silently listens and observes. The individual who regularly needs to recharge away from the crowd. Someone who has great ideas but doesn’t always articulate them. If this is you, read this book, and if not you will know someone who is – over 1/3rd of the world are introverts – so just read it anyway!
Now about the content. Firstly, it digs into our society’s ideas about extroversion and how it is preferred and often made to be required. Cain reveals the subtle ways our schools, workplaces, and media have been changed to think of extroverts as being superior when in fact this is false. With brilliant research, she reveals how the evolution of this mindset came to happen in recent years and how to address it.
Cain acknowledges the advantages of both extroversion and introversion; however, she communicates the need for introverts to be recognised more as they have different preferences which have been overlooked in recent years. Both sorts of people bring unique qualities to the table in any work or social gathering, but extroverts are often the
only ones to be heard. Cain outlines how her principles can be applied in schools and workplaces, but also in relationships, friendships and parenting; these attitudes towards introversion affect us in more ways than we could ever imagine.
This challenged me into thinking about myself and my peers, and how we interact in certain situations. Do I allow everyone to be heard and share ideas in a group setting? Am I accommodating to all personality types represented? Perhaps I should listen more… Reading this challenging book provoked many questions such as these.
Reflecting upon it, I am reminded that we are all different, but not always treated the same. This needs to change. Quiet or loud, both have something to contribute. Both should be heard. So let the small voice talk and just listen.