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Quiet
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Quiet (2012) (edit title/settings)

The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

by Susan Cain (Author) (edit contributors)

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Description edit see section history

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who invent and create but prefer not to pitch their own ideas; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled “quiet,”... read more

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

  • - If you are an introvert you will feel validated by reading this book.

Summary edit see section history

United States culture and much of Western culture makes a big deal out of extroverts. Do introverts have a place? Because they're usually more quiet, introverts are less likely to be heard. Yet it is their very nature that provides us all with some of the checks and balances that the culture... read more

United States culture and much of Western culture makes a big deal out of extroverts. Do introverts have a place? Because they're usually more quiet, introverts are less likely to be heard. Yet it is their very nature that provides us all with some of the checks and balances that the culture needs. Introverts are more likely to think through an issue rather than acting impulsively, and are more likely to consider all sides of an issue so as to have insightful ideas to bring to the table.

Asian cultures traditionally have valued introverts more, viewing their quietness as listening which is a valued trait in their society. Asian Americans raised in a predominantly Asian culture tend to be more introverted; however, once they move to college or have to blend with Western culture, they tend to lose some of their quietness in a quest to fit in or get ahead.

Do introverts sometimes need to act like extroverts? Yes. And research has found that it is best sustained when the introvert has deep passion behind the reason that they are doing it.

In the long run, both personality types need to learn to communicate with each other effectively. Extroverts push us forward, encouraging us to take risks we might not otherwise take, but introverts provide the caution that keeps us from getting in too deep or making impulsive foolish choices.

People edit see section history

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Quotes edit see section history

  • “We often marvel at how introverted, geeky kids "blossom" into secure and happy adults. We liken it to a metamorphosis. However, maybe it's not the children who change but their environments. As adults, they get to select the careers, spouses, and social circles that suit them. They don't have to live in whatever culture they're plunked into.”
  • “Love is essential; gregariousness is optional.”
  • “At the university level, introversion predicts academic performance better than cognitive ability.”
  • “"They're (Introverts) often sensitive to sights, sounds, smells, pain and coffee. They have difficulty when being observed (at work, say, or performing at a musical recital) or judged for general worthiness (dating, job interviews)."”
  • “"The highly sensitive tend to be philosophical or spiritual in their orientation, rather than materialistic or hedonistic. They dislike small talk. They often describe themselves as creative or intuitive. They dream vividly, and can often recall their dreams the next day."”
  • “"Many introverts are prone from earliest childhood to strong guilt feelings."”
  • “Free Trait Theory "We are born and culturally endowed with certain personality traits - introversion, for example - but we can do and act out of character in the service of "core personal projects." In other words, introverts are capable of acting like extroverts for the sake of work they consider important, people they love, or anything they value highly."”
    Professor Brian Little
  • “...how did we go from Character to Personality without realizing that we had sacrificed something meaningful along the way?”
  • “She had a quiet but firm speaking style. She rarely spoke without thinking. Being mild-mannered, she could take strong, even aggressive, positions while coming across as perfectly reasonable. And she tended to ask questions—lots of them—and actually listen to the answers, which, no matter what your personality, is crucial to strong negotiation.”
  • “It's easy to confuse schmoozing ability with talent.”
    A highly successful venture capitalist
  • “The lesson, says Collins, is clear. We don't need giant personalities to transform companies. We need leaders who build not their own egos but the institutions they run.”
    Jim Collins
  • “I discovered early on that people don't buy from me because they understand what I'm selling," explains Jon. "They buy because they feel understood." Jon also benefits from his natural tendency to ask a lot of questions and to listen closely to the answers. "I got to the point where I could walk into someone's house and instead of trying to sell them some knives, I'd ask a hundred questions in a row. I could manage the entire conversation just by asking the right questions.”
    Jon Berghoff
  • “In other words, hundred of thousands of years of evolution urge us to get the hell off the stage, where we can mistake the gaze of the spectators for the glint in a predator's eye. Yet the audience expects not only that we'll stay put, but that we'll act relaxed and assured. .....It's also why exhortations to imagine the audience in the nude don't help nervous speakers; naked lions are just as dangerous as elegantly dressed ones.”
  • “If your child prefers to work autonomously and socialize one-on-one, there's nothing wrong with her; she just happens not to fit the prevailing model. The purpose of school should be to prepare kids for the rest of their lives but too often what kids need to be prepared for is surviving the school day itself.”
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Setting & Locations edit see section history

  • Cupertino, California: City home to Apple Computers. Predominant culture leans more to introversion than extroversion.
  • Harvard Business School (HBS): Renowned business school that values extroverted tendencies despite there being no evidence for these traits making the best leaders.
  • Wall Street: Financial district in New York-tends toward extroversion.
  • China: Leadership here tends to value listening more and not taking too much time/wasting time — opposite of what HBS teaches.
  • California: State where Saddleback Church is located.
  • Silicon Valley: Location in California noted for technology.
  • Harvard University: Prestigious University; Laura attended Harvard Law.
  • Richelieu River: Ran alongside the campus of a Canadian College where Brian Little was asked to speak annually. He would stroll its banks to recharge between speaking engagements under the guise of a keen interest in boat design.
  • Abilene, Texas: Used in the military as a "Bus to Abilene"
  • Saddleback Church: Large evangelical church in California pastored by Rick Warren. Author met Adam McHugh for an interview at this church.

Organizations edit see section history

First Sentence edit see section history

I have been working on this book officially since 2005, and unofficially for my entire adult life.

Table of Contents edit see section history

Author's Note

INTRODUCTION: The North and South of Temperament

PART ONE: THE EXTROVERT IDEAL
1. THE RISE OF THE "MIGHTY LIKEABLE FELLOW": How Extroversion Became the Cultural Ideal
2. THE MYTH OF CHARISMATIC LEADERSHIP: The Culture of Personality, a Hundred Years Later
3. WHEN COLLABORATION KILLS CREATIVITY: The Rise of the New Groupthink and the Power of Working Alone

PART TWO: YOUR BIOLOGY, YOUR SELF?
4. IS TEMPERAMENT DESTINY? Nature, Nurture, and the Orchid Hypothesis
5. BEYOND TEMPERAMENT: The Role of Free Will (and the Secret of Public Speaking for Introverts)
6. "FRANKLIN WAS A POLITICIAN, BUT ELEANOR SPOKE OUT OF CONSCIENCE": Why Cool is Overrated
7. WHY DID WALL STREET CRASH AND WARREN BUFFETT PROSPER?: How Introverts and Extroverts Think (and Process Dopamine) Differently

PART THREE: DO ALL CULTURES HAVE AN EXTROVERT IDEAL?
8. SOFT POWER: Asian-Americans and the Extrovert Ideal

PART FOUR: HOW TO LOVE, HOW TO WORK
9. WHEN SHOULD YOU ACT MORE EXTROVERTED THAN YOU REALLY ARE?
10. THE COMMUNICATION GAP: How to Talk to Members of the Opposite Type
11. ON COBBLERS AND GENERALS: How to Cultivate Quiet Kids in a World That Can't Hear Them

CONCLUSION: Wonderland

A Note on the Dedication

A Note on the Words Introvert and Extrovert

Acknowledgments

Notes

Glossary edit see section history

  • rents: money that accrues to favored groups not because of their competitive edge, but because public policy gives them specific advantages relative to their competitors.
  • bus to Abilene: Military saying

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

Series & Lists edit see section history

This book is in 2012 Published Books. (community list)
This is book 9 of 15 in New York Times Bestsellers - Nonfiction (Current). (authoritative list)
This book is in Amazon.com Best Books of January (2012). (authoritative list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Susan Cain (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Crown Publishers
Country: United States
Publication Date: January 24, 2012
ISBN: 0307352145
Page Count: 352

Awards edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: BF698.35.I59C35 2012
  • Dewey: 155.2

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Adults

Many concepts discussed are quite advanced and would probably be beyond most younger than high school or college age.

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

  • NPR Author Interview: Jan 30, 1012 (7:47)
  • Author's Blog: Psychology Today blog
  • CBS News Interview: January 26, 2012 10:14 AM. (14:30) Jeff Glor talks to Susan Cain about "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking," her new book that explores the role of the often undervalued "quiet" people known as introverts. Cain draws on cutting-edge research in psychology and neuroscience as well as stories of real people to shed light on how introverts can thrive in a noisy, extrovert world.

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • The Introvert Advantage
  • Introverts in the Church
  • Introvert Power
  • The Introvert's Way: Living a Quiet Life in a Noisy World
  • The Hidden Gifts of the Introverted Child
  • The Happy Introvert: A Wild and Crazy Guide for Celebrating Your True Self
  • The Outermost House
  • Party of One
  • Introverts at Ease

Books Cited by This Book edit see section history

   
  • The Art of Public Speaking
  • How to Win Friends and Influence People
  • Quiet Strength

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