Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

by Susan Cain

introverts prefer to work independently, and solitude can be a catalyst to innovation.

Studies have shown that performance gets worse as group size increases:

“evidence from science suggests that business people must be insane to use brainstorming groups,”

Peer pressure, in other words, is not only unpleasant, but can actually change your view of a problem.

A shy man no doubt dreads the notice of strangers, but can hardly be said to be afraid of them. He may be as bold as a hero in battle, and yet have no self-confidence about trifles in the presence of strangers. —CHARLES DARWIN

So what is the inner behavior of people whose most visible feature is that when you take them to a party they aren’t very pleased about it? She decided to find out.

It may also help explain why they’re so bored by small talk. “If you’re thinking in more complicated ways,” she told me, “then talking about the weather or where you went for the holidays is not quite as interesting as talking about values or morality.”