Shhhh! Ideally, reading Quiet: The Power Of Introverts In A World That Can't Stop Talking requires a subdued atmosphere, for despite the tongue-in-cheek title the book turns out to be a serious read, a cocktail of self-help, cultural study and business analysis for human resource management.
Quiet: The Power Of Introverts In A World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain 345pp, 2012 Crown Available at Asia Books and leading bookshops 450 baht
Essentially, Susan Cain examines the "north and south of temperament" _ the two main personality types, extroverts versus introverts, those who are hedonistically outgoing are pitted against the painfully shy. Cain, a former Wall Street corporate lawyer, does an impressive job of digging deep into American culture and social history since 1920, when self-help guides for businessmen had shifted their focus from inner virtue to outer charm.
What makes this book notable is the research involved. Cain, who also writes on psychology and the human character, reportedly spent seven years researching the different elements of the book.
The author conducted numerous interviews with chatty extroverts and pried into the lives of those who are shy _ the writer proclaims herself to belong to the introvert camp. She even investigated the culture of Harvard Business School by interviewing that school's rare reticent students, and argues top schools ingrain and champion a culture of extroversion and group-thinking among students.
Cain participated in self-help workshops by Tony Robbins, a renowned motivation coach, and attended famous evangelical churches to study society's love affair with public speakers and socially accepted garrulity.
The book is laden with neurological studies. The most hilarious and interesting is that on the area of the brain known as amygdala, which serves as an emotional switchboard and defines our personality. Introverts are likely to have more amygdala, and the abundance those brain cells can make them hypersensitive and highly stimulated by their surroundings, so they are likely to defend themselves by hiding or staying away. Extroverts, and daredevils and fighter pilots, typically have a lower number of amygdala cells.
Mortally shy or craving for the spotlight _ neither is better than the other. Yet Cain argues there is a problem in the social attitude that puts a premium on extroverts and berates timid and taciturn people.
"Introversion _ along with its cousins sensitivity, seriousness, and shyness _ is now a second-class personality trait, somewhere between a disappointment and a pathology. Introverts living in the Extrovert Ideal are like women in a man's world, discounted because of a trait that goes to the core of who they are. Extroversion is an enormously appealing personality style, but we've turned it into an oppressive standard to which most of us feel we must conform," Cain writes.
The big question for readers is: why should we care?
Cain makes a solid argument that corporations, families, schools and society lose out when an extroverted personality is overvalued, while the more contemplative among us are ignored simply because they are too quiet to grab attention.
After all, the world needs equilibrium. Furthermore, history is loaded with those bewildering, hermetic loners such as Sir Isacc Newton, Frederic Chopin, T.S. Elliot and Steve Wozniak, the reclusive computer geek and self-effacing co-founder of Apple, to name but a few.
As Cain puts it: "I worry that there are people who are put in positions of authority because they're good talkers, but they don't have good ideas. It's so easy to confuse schmoozing ability with talent. Someone seems like a good presenter, easy to get along with, and those traits are rewarded. Well, why is that? They're valuable traits, but we put too much of a premium on presenting and not enough on substance and critical thinking."
Schools, companies and communities can tap into the hidden potential of introverted students, employees and citizens, who, according to Cain, are likely to be more contemplative, prudent and analytical. Couples can get a deeper understanding of their introverted (or extrovert) husbands and wives and manage to solve conflicts.
The book has been well received by the business community. A few good chapters criticise the corporate culture that favours extroversion _ salesmen, public speakers and group thinking.
Cain does an interesting job presenting research showing that extroversion and group thinking have their downsides.
As companies worldwide increasingly prefer an "open office floor plan" to encourage sharing and cooperation, Cain challenges the idea with research showing private work space tends to result in more productivity and creativity. On the predominant culture of cooperation, Cain suggests too much emphasis on this kills the creative process and she advises bosses to tailor brainstorming to suit the nature of their staff. Extroversion should not overshadow substance. (In Asian countries where staff are introverted, many bosses have killed creativity by pushing employees to speak up at the meeting table right away, instead of encouraging those workers to send in their ideas privately.)
Interestingly, the data shows the world abounds with shy people who are not comfortable in their own skins. In Asia, introverted personalities might be the majority. But in US, perceived as the land of outspoken people, the statistics show one of three are introverted, and most of those have tried to overcome their shyness and change their personalities.
The book encourages readers to be comfortable in their own skins, see their own strengths and weaknesses, and live their lives accordingly.
At some level, the book addresses social stereotypes and prejudices and aims to make society embrace differences.
Among shy people, the book has been a phenomenal hit. Wherever they hide, it is time to stand up and walk in the spotlight, smile proudly and excuse themselves to the audience for having to go back to finish their reading, enjoying their time alone, or even thinking about their next creative endeavours.
Thinking, Fast And Slow by Daniel Kahneman 512pp, 2011 Farrar, Straus and Giroux Available at Asia Books and other leading bookstores 450 baht
A head at different speeds
This best-selling book by a Nobel laureate in economics will bring you to your psyches, and put the spotlight on your cognitive brain, rationalising processes and logic.
Many self-help books now adopt an academic tone by addressing the science of psychology and neurology. Thinking, Fast And Slow is among them, although an exceptional one.
What sets Thinking, Fast And Slow apart is the credibility of the author. Author Daniel Kahneman is not a CEO-cum-writer or motivation guru. Kahneman won the 2002 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, is a respected psychologist and has helped pioneer a new field _ hedonic psychology _ which is the study of human happiness. His works on cognitive psychology have been welcomed in the finance world for explaining the logical and rational processes behind investment and trading decisions. Kahneman was named in Bloomberg's 50 Most Influential People in Global Finance lists in 2011 and 2012.
The book under review looks at the processes of logic and rationalisation. Humans often think they are rational, yet Kahneman warn us that our unconscious cognitive functions make us biased.
Readers will likely be left with a richer understanding of other people, and themselves, and perhaps this will lead to them making better judgements.
The Power Of Habit by Charles Duhigg 371pp, 2012 Random House Available at Asia Books and other leading bookstores 450 baht
Offering a rich understanding
Humans are not self-contented creatures. But for this reviewer, this greed is not as awful as it sounds when it comes to our desire to change and reinvent ourselves.
Such desire contributes to the growth of self-help books that some consider a modern form of religion. These books recommend steps for readers to redress themselves or for dealing with others and range from providing quick tips to works of serious psychoanalysis.
The Power Of Habit studies human nature, specifically the acts, decisions and mindsets that result from habits. It explains how habits are formed, and the influence and power they have over acts and decisions.
Charles Duhigg, a writer and award-winning investigative reporter at The New York Times, takes readers to different places _ including a US army camp in Baghdad, corporations and a psychological laboratory _ to explain how habits are ingrained. He also shows how these organisations and individuals use habitual change _ "Keystone Habits" _ to reach their goals, improve their lives or increase the profit of companies.
The book is peppered with interesting examples and insight from individuals. Among the examples Duhigg uses are Olympic swimming star Michael Phelps and a US army major in Baghdad who came up with the tactic of removing a kebab kiosk from a public square in order to defuse a looming protest, having noticed that it was integral to the habit.
For those keen to change their lives, this book might offer a clue. In all, it is an entertaining and highly readable book.
