BOOK REVIEW: 'Quiet' by Susan Cain

Susan Cain (2013) presents an insightful and compelling argument for the value of introverts in the modern business climate. Two overarching points stand out: First, that our world is highly catered to extraverts to the exclusion of introverts, and, second, that this is a detriment to society because introverts possess qualities that can benefit companies and society as a whole.

Cain offers a trenchant survey of early 20th century history to show how the rise of mass media like the radio and television have given rise to a culture which favors extraverts. She references the work of Warren Susman, who argued that America went from a Culture of Character to a Culture of Personality (Susman, 1986), where extraverts superseded introverts in prominence.

Cain (2013) then shows how this trend has marginalized introverts and ultimately diminished their contributions to society, which include critical thinking, ingenuity, and nonconformity. Gibbon encapsulates the theme when he says “Conversation enriches the understanding, but solitude is the school of genius” (Gibbon, 1776, Ch. 50).

Cain is most convincing when she delves into the consequences of shunning introverts on a societal scale, which includes pressuring introverts to act unnaturally and building institutions like schools that favor extraverts.

One small point where a reader might contest Cain’s findings (Cain, 2013) is how much she attributes to the introverted trait. Whereas she does an admirable job explaining the origins of introvertedness in human neurology, and links it to the tendency to be quiet and private, she does not link it to other tendencies such as deep thinking and problem solving.

Other personality frameworks such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Big Five (Robbins & Judge, 2017) sensibly attribute these tendencies to traits other than introversion and extraversion. A fuller exposition that includes intuition and sensory awareness as well as thinking and feeling would give Cain’s work better grounding.

References

Cain, S. (2013). Quiet: the power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking. New York: Random House.

Gibbon, E. (1776). The decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Public Domain. Retrieved from https://www.ccel.org/g/gibbon/decline/volume2/chap50.htm

Robbins, S.P., Judge, T.A. (2017). Organizational behavior, 17e. Harlow: Pearson Education.

Susman, W. (January 5, 1986). Character takes on personality. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1986/01/05/character-takes-on-personality/d15aeae3-d266-4c8b-a7c2-77cbcbdcb3b6/