Have Introverts Benefited from the Quiet Revolution ?
Susan Cain’s blockbuster book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking unleased a ‘quiet revolution’ that changed, for the better, how introverts are perceived. Before the Quiet Revolution launched introverts were compared with extroverts and were found lacking:
“Introversion existed somewhere between a disappointment and a pathology, something to be overcome.”
Thanks to Susan Cain’s advocacy, introverts were suddenly seen as having characteristics that were different but just as important as extroverts.
What are some positive characteristics of introverts?
Positive characteristics of introverts include the ability to,
- focus and concentrate,
- listen deeply
- provide a type of quiet leadership so badly needed in our frenetic, unfocused society
All of a sudden it was ok to identify as an introvert and to ask for a quiet space in which to work or to be given time to think before asking questions in an important meeting.
Following the release of Quiet many other writers and educators jumped onboard the introvert train and a flurry of articles, books, podcasts, and workshops appeared in rapid succession. I followed Cain’s work and the work of others for some years and then moved on to other things.
What is new in the introvert universe?
Fast forward to last month when I checked in with Google to see if anything was new in the introvert universe.
The Quiet Revolution has changed the culture of many workplaces and schools but it seems that we still have “a long way to go” as Cain noted in a 2022 Vanity Fair article.
In this article, Susan Cain, Chief Introvert, Ventures Into the Sublime, Aaron Fedor asked Cain if she believed that introversion had surpassed its status as a second-class personality trait. Cain replied,
“there’s still a long way to go…before introverts feel like they don’t have to disguise who they are in some way.”
Where is all this leading you may ask? After not keeping up with The Dynamic Introvert blog I’ve decided to start blogging again. First of all I want to know why introverts continue to be seen as second-class citizens when it comes to their personalities. Secondly, I’ll go through The Dynamic Introvert Leading Quietly with Passion and Purpose to discover what is still relevant and what is outdated. The idea is not to revise the book but to share what I learn with readers of The Dynamic Introvert blog.
We’ve come a long way since the publication of Quiet but according to Susan Cain, we still have a way to go before introverts are seen as important as extroverts.
What do you think?
[contact-form][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Website” type=”url” /][contact-field label=”Message” type=”textarea” /][/contact-form]