Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverts

by Susan Cain

Not all adventures have historical or technological impact, and they don’t have to. For example, Rita, a once-shy girl in Indiana, spent a year abroad in Ecuador during her sophomore year of high school. There she befriended local kids, learned salsa dancing, and adjusted to a culture that felt warmer, friendlier, and louder than what she was used to. After she returned home, she gave a speech about the study abroad program to encourage other young people to travel as she had. Rita was nervous about speaking in front of everyone, but she believed in her message. Although the adults who ran the exchange program had imagined that extroverted kids would fare better abroad, Rita spoke about how being introverted was actually an enormous advantage. Since she was so comfortable listening—really listening—to what people had to say, she formed close friendships with both her host family adults and the kids in her school. Yes, she wore an extroverted mask at times, but Rita didn’t feel that she had changed. “I didn’t become less introverted,” she says. “I just became less shy.” Her high school also asked her to give a speech about her experience. This time, she’d have to speak in front of hundreds of people. Public speaking terrified Rita, but she reasoned that if she could adventure across the world to a place where she didn’t speak the language or know anyone and come back speaking Spanish and having made deep new friendships—well, then she could give a quick public speech. She a...