I read a book!

Isn't that exciting? So I'm gonna review it for you, my millions of loyal readers (a.k.a. Stephanie-- thanks, Stephanie!) What book, you ask? Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. I know somewhere along the line I claimed that I read only YA, but as it turns out, that was a big lie. Oh well.

My motivation for reading this book was purely selfish. When I take the Myers-Briggs test, I usually score 99% introvert, and I am self-involved enough that I have taken the Myers-Briggs test about five thousand times to make sure the result remains the same-- thus, my interest in a book all about my primary personality trait. I have a feeling that most extroverts are entirely uninterested in hearing the rest of us wax philosophical about our rich inner lives, but I hope I am wrong in at least a few cases because this book is highly informative. To be fair, I think Susan Cain is correct in stating that the U.S. constantly reinforces what she calls the "extrovert ideal," and that is why we introverts need a book to reaffirm our collective self esteem, and extroverts probably aren't spending too much time analyzing their social preferences and energy sources. C'est la vie. (It's also why I am writing a long-winded blog post about it). Whatevs.

Quiet comprises four sections: "The Extrovert Ideal," "Your Biology, Your Self?," "Do All Cultures Have an Extrovert Ideal?" and "How to Love, How to Work."

Cain begins by exploring the rise of extroversion as a preferred trait in America. Apparently, it started with Dale Carnegie who began as a quiet child of farmers and became a charismatic salesman who taught workshops on how to make people like you by being uber ebullient (dammit, Dale Carnegie, why you do that?) Cain cites a few studies that have shown extroverts work well under introverted managers, and vice versa, and she explains how "the new group think" prevents many good ideas from coming to light because  introverts tend to fail at speaking up in meetings, team building activities, and the like. She argues effectively for workplaces that encourage extroverts and introverts alike to do their best work by combining open concept with niches for solitude.

Part two offers compelling evidence that extroversion and introversion take root in our genetics as well as our environments. Cain presents the work of Jerome Kagan, a developmental psychologist who conducted longitudinal studies which revealed that many babies who are "high-reactive" (a.k.a. very sensitive to and alarmed by unfamiliar people, objects, and situations) grow into introverted adolescents and adults. Moreover, Cain cites evidence that a significant proportion of humans, as well as creatures of other species, possess specific genes that affect the travels of serotonin through our brains. These genes can apparently make the introvert very depressed or extremely well-adjusted, depending on the environment in which we develop. So be nice to your quiet kid!

Of course, not every culture values extroversion as highly as Americans. Part four suggests that Asian cultures in particular lend themselves to higher rates of introversion and the belief in "soft power." Apparently Finnish folks are also more likely to be introverted, as revealed by a popular joke that a Finnish person (a Fin?) shows his affection by staring at your shoes instead of his own. May I have a ticket to Japan or Finland, please? Are they hiring?

Finally, part four explores to what extent introverts can and should parade as extroverts in the interest of career success and familial harmony. Many of us, apparently, are capable of high self monitoring, which allows us to adjust our behavior to suit the situation. Others, however, are utterly incapable of expressing our inner jovial selves to please an audience, and find the high self monitors disingenuous. Discussion of a much- loved professor known for his humor and entertainment value, as well as how parents should handle raising their quiet children rounds out the book.

I found this book deeply enjoyable. Reading stories of others who also felt like Charlie Brown growing up made me feel much more okay with my ongoing Charlie-Brownishness. Also, I feel much more confident that I may yet find a niche in the professional world even if I do need to hide out in the bathroom every now and again to reclaim inner peace! Cain's research is thorough, and her writing is just swell. The only negative I find is that extroverts reading the book may feel put off, as if they are being dismissed or disdained by a horde of introverts. In a recent NPR interview, Cain declared otherwise, saying that she loves extroverts. If you happen to be an extrovert, you probably quit reading about an hour ago, but I hope you will somehow stumble on this book anyway, and learn that people who stick their noses in books during lunch aren't necessarily misanthropes.

ADDENDUM:

I forgot to mention before that even educated, articulate Susan Cain perpetuates a librarian stereotype. In her conclusion, she encourages people to make changes in their lives if it will help them be true to their personalities. I can't quote her exactly because my iPad is downstairs, I am not, and I am lazy, but she tells unhappy news anchors to go to library school. That made me chuckle. Being a librarian generally involves talking to a non-stop line of people, some of whom are completely insane. We're bartenders with books instead of booze. Unhappily introverted TV personalities, if such a thing exists, should probably go to school for computer science or become truck drivers.