Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking in Book Lust Reading Guild

Jul 15, 2018 Cassandra rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, adult, 2018

“Introverts are offered keys to private gardens full of riches.”

Quiet by Susan Cain is a well written and accessible book about introversion and how it fits in with the extrovert ideal of our society. I have always been super interested in personality types. I took the 16 personalities test a few times (somewhere between an INTJ and ENTJ) and researched all about the Enneagram. I am surprised that I have never heard of Quiet until very recently! Cain not only delves into all kinds of research re

“Introverts are offered keys to private gardens full of riches.”

Quiet by Susan Cain is a well written and accessible book about introversion and how it fits in with the extrovert ideal of our society. I have always been super interested in personality types. I took the 16 personalities test a few times (somewhere between an INTJ and ENTJ) and researched all about the Enneagram. I am surprised that I have never heard of Quiet until very recently! Cain not only delves into all kinds of research regarding introversion but also brings the nonfiction to life with personal anecdotes and hypothetical social situations. I was completely captivated from start to finish.

Though Quiet focuses on introverts, I would still highly recommend this book to people who consider themselves to be strong extroverts. Introverts make up 1/3 to 1/2 of the world’s population, so it is important for everyone to understand that introverts have their own strengths, which complement the energetic charisma of extroverts.

Through Quiet, I have come to realize that personality is so much more complicated than the Myers-Briggs indicators. There is a whole spectrum between introversion and extroversion. Each person has characteristics from both realms of personality. A shy person can be extroverted, while a high-energy leader can be introverted. Besides learning about the power of introverts, I latched onto the following lessons:

- Restorative niches are important places where you can recharge and feel true to yourself.
- Finding core personal projects is key. One way to aid in this never-ending search is to pay attention to what you envy.
- The free trait theory suggests that fixed and free traits coexist. It is possible to act out of character in the service of core personal projects.
- Group brainstorming might not always be the best idea. It is important to allow for plenty of individual brainstorming before any group discussion.

Overall, I rate Quiet 4.25 out of 5 stars. Personality is probably something that I am going to keep pondering for my entire life. I think that we are all a mix of malleable and fixed character traits. Quiet has changed the way I view the importance of personal growth. I just hope that society’s view of personality (the extrovert ideal) will be as adaptable and open-minded as our individual characters are. ...more

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Nov 03, 2019 Avarla rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, read-in-2019

Interesting insights. A must-read for every introvert who is overwhelmed by all the extroversion in daily life.

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Feb 09, 2022 Jailynn rated it liked it · review of another edition

3.5
I liked all the studies and brain talks and learned some new things but after a while, I felt like there was stereotyping of both people or maybe my issue was it was a lot of the same description for both types repeatedly. The hypnosis "introverts are quiet and thoughtful, extroverts are loud and demanding" ...more

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