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

by Susan Cain (2012)

Frankly speaking, this is my first experience in reading non-fiction. Since we have this golden opportunity, it would be rather fatuous of me to lose it. While I was looking for psychology-related literature, this book jumped right out at me from the list of recommendations. With an eye-catching title, this book stole my heart from the very first pages. Honestly, I thought it would be psychology only. However, Susan Cain observes the phenomenon of extroversion and introversion from different points of view. She gives examples of the people who gained worldwide recognition due to their introversion. Thus, I learned about Rosa Parks, quite a formidable figure, who contributed a lot to help black people be able to exercise their rights. And I’m looking forward to finding out more about such significant people as Eleonor Roosevelt, Al Gore, Warren Buffett, Gandhi, and many others.

What I adore is the way Susan Cain conveys the information to readers. She does it so elegantly and eloquently, playing with idioms, quotes, and historical references. Moreover, I found a bunch of stylistic devices there, such as euphemism, metaphor, metonymy, and simile. Here are also some marvelous examples of new vocabulary that I highly recommend to you:

Galvanize — to cause someone to suddenly take action, especially by shocking or exciting them in some way. (SYN: arouse, astonish, energize, invigorate)

The prospect of his mother coming to stay galvanized him into action and he started cleaning the house. (Cambridge Dictionary)

Fortitude — courage over a long period. (SYN: courage, bravery, endurance, determination)

Throughout his illness, he showed great fortitude. (Cambridge Dictionary)

Unfazed — not surprised or worried. (SYN: undaunted, unperturbed, calm)

She seems unfazed by her sudden success and fame.

I’ve chosen the book because I want to relish non-fiction (see how the English language works there) and get some more information relating to two completely polar types of temperament. It might also be my intention to understand myself better. So far, I have learned that introverts recharge their batteries by being alone; extroverts need to recharge when they don’t socialize enough. What’s more, it is not surprising that people are divided into pure introverts and pure extroverts. It’s absurd. Things are much more complicated here. As Susan says, there are four quadrants of personality types: calm extroverts, anxious (or impulsive) extroverts, calm introverts, and anxious introverts.

If you are interested, here is the test from the book. The results were surprising to me.

If you’re still not sure where you fall on the introvert-extrovert spectrum, you can assess yourself here. Answer each question “true” or “false,” choosing the answer that applies to you more often than not. *

1. _______ I prefer one-on-one conversations to group activities.

2. _______ I often prefer to express myself in writing.

3. _______ I enjoy solitude.

4. _______ I seem to care less than my peers about wealth, fame, and status.

5. _______ I dislike small talk, but I enjoy talking in depth about topics that matter to me.

6. _______ People tell me that I’m a good listener.

7. _______ I’m not a big risk-taker.

8. _______ I enjoy work that allows me to “dive in” with few interruptions.

9. _______ I like to celebrate birthdays on a small scale, with only one or two close friends or family members.

10. _______ People describe me as “soft-spoken” or “mellow.”

11. _______ I prefer not to show or discuss my work with others until it’s finished.

12. _______ I dislike conflict.

13. _______ I do my best work on my own.

14. _______ I tend to think before I speak.

15. _______ I feel drained after being out and about, even if I’ve enjoyed myself.

16. _______ I often let calls go through to voice mail.

17. _______ If I had to choose, I’d prefer a weekend with absolutely nothing to do to one with too many things scheduled.

18. _______ I don’t enjoy multitasking.

19. _______ I can concentrate easily.

20. _______ In classroom situations, I prefer lectures to seminars.

The more often you answered “true,” the more introverted you probably are. If you found yourself with a roughly equal number of “true” and “false” answers, then you may be an ambivert — yes, there really is such a word. But even if you answered every single question as an introvert or extrovert, that doesn’t mean that your behavior is predictable across all circumstances. We can’t say that every introvert is a bookworm or every extrovert wears lampshades at parties any more than we can say that every woman is a natural consensus-builder and every man loves contact sports.