Book Review: Quiet — The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
Being quiet. This book caught me off guard with its entirely white cover with its subtle indent of the word “Quiet.” It definitely sparked my curiosity, especially as an introvert. For so long, I’ve thought of being an introvert as a struggle, something that I needed to fight off as though it was bad. I treated my introversion as the reason for a lot of my faults, not realizing what it really meant, and the strength, energy, and positivity, and all potential wisdom and intellectuality that comes along with being an introvert.
This book taught me that being an introvert has strengths in the most unnoticeable places. It gives a voice to those who are quiet, or rather reflective, contemplative, and thoughtful.
Teachings
Introverts often have a struggle with public speaking, group speaking, or just even introducing themselves in general. This book teaches introverts how to become better speakers, as introverts are quite soft-spoken and can often be overlooked and spoken over. And while it teaches introverts to become better speakers, it also teaches extroverts to become better listeners, as extroverts often like to boast their overconfidence in their skills, and it thus makes them less likely to listen to others, despite them maybe having great ideas, thoughts, or insights to add to the conversation.
Leaders are often thought of as charismatic, suave, and confident, however, in reading this book, you will gain a different perspective of leadership. How Quiet describes leaders is as humble, modest, and gracious. It gives as an example of that some of the most influential leaders in the past century, such as The Mahatma Gandhi, Al Gore, and even Barack Obama (Yes, surprisingly, Barack Obama is an introvert).
If you are a struggling introvert reading this, then know this, there is unrealized power and strength within you. One you are blinded to by your surroundings and the ideas that are planted in your mind by society, which is why, to see your own self-worth, to realize the power and strength within you and within your introversion, you must spend time in solitude, enjoying nothing but your own company.
Are you somebody who is very much affected by experiences? If you are, then know this, that much like an orchid, as this book describes, you might wilt easily, but you will grow … stronger and better. People affected by all sorts of experiences, whether they are negative or positive experiences, are found to come out of such experiences as much better people, much stronger people — ones who like to see growth and change in the world, and they take the opportunity to make that change.
Live your fears and allow yourself to be uncomfortable
Living your fears is something most of us try to avoid at all costs. We do our best to not put ourselves in situations that cause us heightened levels of anxiety in order to live as comfortably as we can. I used to be the same, but one thing I’ve learned and have confirmed to myself through reading this book is that once you go through your fears and anxieties, once you take the first step, you have already moved forward. This book describes this as “desensitization training” which is where you expose yourself to your fears over and over again until your fears no longer exist. Until you are no longer in the fear of being in any situation.
If you are an extrovert, this bit of news is for you. Introverts do know how to talk, just not small talk. It’s not because introverts are not great conversationalists, but it’s rather because they are too good at it. As this book describes, introverts are more likely to be the type that feel deeply about things. They have strong opinions that they stand by. And their emotions go deeper than most, whether they are joyous or sad or fearful. Introverts are more oriented towards philosophical or spiritual topics, and talking about the traffic on the road makes them want to snooze on your conversation.
As much as there is wisdom in quietness, contemplation, and reflection, introverts should also learn balancing their natural introverted state with boldness and feeling of empowerment. They should learn to be easy going and flattering and go with the politics of the day. Such acts have been known to be performed by great introverted world leaders.
Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed Quiet for how inclusive it is. If you think that it is a book about introversion vs extroversion, then prepare to be corrected because upon reading it, you realize that it’s not about introversion vs extroversion, but that it is about how introverts and extroverts can work together harmoniously in a world that celebrates loud noises and speaking out loud. It is quite a thoughtful and sensitive book as it does not try to show off one group as better than the other, but rather that both groups are great on their own and in working together, as long as their personal spaces and boundaries are respected.
I was very impressed by the research and science basis behind the findings of this book, as you would also find as you gain knowledge of how everything works in the world of personality psychology from a psychological, biological, and neurological perspective.
Quiet is definitely an intriguing book for those struggling introverts who just can’t seem to get themselves out there in the world. Those introverts who cannot accept themselves and in turn do not seem to get accepted by others. It’s also for leaders of organizations who want to create a better, more inclusive workplace for all of their employees and give each employee a space of comfort. Even if you are an extrovert who want to learn how to better interact with the introverts in your life, whether they might be in your circle of friends, your spouse, or in your life in general, this book will give the insights into how you can be a more inclusive person.
