Finally!!
It took me a while but I got there. As it is a book with actual pages of references at the back of it, it is not your usual work of fiction. Matter of fact it is not a fictional book at all. I must admit that this is not the kind of book I am used to reading in my spare time as a bunch more brain cells were required to process it. Even writing this post proved to be quite difficult as not only was there was a lot of material to digest in Quiet, it took me quite a while to finish it and I didn't take note of my thoughts on each chunk I read so I have forgotten where my favourite bits of the book are. No doubt about it though, this is definitely a book that I will be referring back to every now and again.
Quiet was written by a woman called Susan Cain and she is a wonderful writer! I know that the reason I kept turning the pages of her book until I got to the end was not solely because the main topic of her book hit close to home for me but also because her writing style is such that it sounds like she was having a conversation with us, the readers- weaving bits of her life stories in with those of others and some scientific research to back up her facts or pose new ways of thinking. If only textbooks were written is such a manner...
Quiet is about challenging the world to change its current ways of valuing mostly the extroversion-type qualities in people and realise, as well as reward, the beauty and benefits of people who are considered to be introverts... Quiet.
I know only too well the highly uncomfortable feeling that consumes you when you receive word that you have been invited for an assessment centre which is designed to see how you cope in group activities and just how well you make yourself stand out from the crowd; the sickening feeling you get when you drag yourself to the front of the classroom, that is far too close to be right, to give that dreaded presentation you have been slaving away on all week in front of all your classmates; the butterflies that swarm aimlessly in your tummy when you host a meeting with your company's senior management team to showcase your findings on the project you have been working on; the unease that stiffens your stride as you go to a party where you literally know 2 people who are currently engaged in a discussion with a massive group of people you don't know which means you are left standing alone like a lemon in the corner of the room wondering why you came; the dread that coses up to you went your parents or partner not-so-subtly suggest you get out more by picking up a sport or getting involved in more societies or attending/hosting more dinner parties or a whole bunch of other things that quite frankly just exhaust you.
In my opinion, Quiet explores the intricacies of introversion and extroversion and how people that lean more toward to either side can cope in the environments we live in today. It gives advice to parents, teachers, managers and folks in relationships on how to better understand their kids, students, employees and partners respectively that are considered introverts. It is filled with stories about public figures who made their mark on the world in their own way even though they saw themselves as introverts showing that introverts can be just as powerful/influential. There are summaries of studies that have been conducted by people considered experts in the field of human personality theories in the book that shed a bit of light on both personality traits. Real-life stories of people that have understood how to wield their introversion-like qualities to their advantage to complete tasks that were once considered out of their comfort zone are strategically placed within the book to support the topic being explored in each chapter. And tales from Susan herself that tell you her personal view on the power of introversion are interwoven amongst the research that she has decided to share with the public .
As a self-proclaimed introvert, Quiet was an big eye-opener for me and made me realise that just because society values certain attributes that I do not possess in spades, it doesn't mean that introverts do not have an important part to play in society. It also taught me a few things on how to handle situations that I do not necessarily jump for joy about being in which was quite enlightening. If you are interested in a bit of psychology, the complexity of one's personality and history, then I think you will like it this book.
Read it or not...that is your choice.
Quiet was written by a woman called Susan Cain and she is a wonderful writer! I know that the reason I kept turning the pages of her book until I got to the end was not solely because the main topic of her book hit close to home for me but also because her writing style is such that it sounds like she was having a conversation with us, the readers- weaving bits of her life stories in with those of others and some scientific research to back up her facts or pose new ways of thinking. If only textbooks were written is such a manner...
Quiet is about challenging the world to change its current ways of valuing mostly the extroversion-type qualities in people and realise, as well as reward, the beauty and benefits of people who are considered to be introverts... Quiet.
I know only too well the highly uncomfortable feeling that consumes you when you receive word that you have been invited for an assessment centre which is designed to see how you cope in group activities and just how well you make yourself stand out from the crowd; the sickening feeling you get when you drag yourself to the front of the classroom, that is far too close to be right, to give that dreaded presentation you have been slaving away on all week in front of all your classmates; the butterflies that swarm aimlessly in your tummy when you host a meeting with your company's senior management team to showcase your findings on the project you have been working on; the unease that stiffens your stride as you go to a party where you literally know 2 people who are currently engaged in a discussion with a massive group of people you don't know which means you are left standing alone like a lemon in the corner of the room wondering why you came; the dread that coses up to you went your parents or partner not-so-subtly suggest you get out more by picking up a sport or getting involved in more societies or attending/hosting more dinner parties or a whole bunch of other things that quite frankly just exhaust you.
In my opinion, Quiet explores the intricacies of introversion and extroversion and how people that lean more toward to either side can cope in the environments we live in today. It gives advice to parents, teachers, managers and folks in relationships on how to better understand their kids, students, employees and partners respectively that are considered introverts. It is filled with stories about public figures who made their mark on the world in their own way even though they saw themselves as introverts showing that introverts can be just as powerful/influential. There are summaries of studies that have been conducted by people considered experts in the field of human personality theories in the book that shed a bit of light on both personality traits. Real-life stories of people that have understood how to wield their introversion-like qualities to their advantage to complete tasks that were once considered out of their comfort zone are strategically placed within the book to support the topic being explored in each chapter. And tales from Susan herself that tell you her personal view on the power of introversion are interwoven amongst the research that she has decided to share with the public .
As a self-proclaimed introvert, Quiet was an big eye-opener for me and made me realise that just because society values certain attributes that I do not possess in spades, it doesn't mean that introverts do not have an important part to play in society. It also taught me a few things on how to handle situations that I do not necessarily jump for joy about being in which was quite enlightening. If you are interested in a bit of psychology, the complexity of one's personality and history, then I think you will like it this book.
Read it or not...that is your choice.
Mo x
No comments:
Post a Comment
Hi!
Thanks for leaving a comment. I love being given the chance to interact with you and hear your thoughts :)
Yours truly,
Mo