Quiet by Susan Cain
“The purpose of school should be to prepare kids for the rest of their lives, but too often what kids need to be prepared for is surviving the school day itself.”
3 Main Messages:
Our temperament comes from ‘nature’, while our personality is formed by our experiences.
We need to build environments where introvert geniuses, leaders and learners can thrive.
Some of us are like daisies: we flower everywhere; while others are like orchids: we need special conditions to bloom.
Have you ever read a book that has changed how you see the world? For an extravert like myself, this was it. I read it with the intention of learning how others work and ended up completely rethinking my idea of how our schools and classrooms should operate. I wonder now about all the introverts who I have taught and what struggles they must have gone through in a typical modern day classroom environment.
Schools, like the offices that we are setting our students up for, have changed in the last few decades. There is a greater emphasis on discussion, paired feedback, group planning and confident presentations. All activities which come easily to an extravert, but can induce stress and be detrimental (and in extreme cases damaging) for introverts.
In Quiet, Susan Cain explores the scientific research behind what makes us extravert or introvert and then looks at the dangers of creating a culture where being an extravert is celebrated. According to Cain, more than half of the world population is introverted. Why, then, are extrovert characteristics and social confidence celebrated so much? And what are we missing when we set up our offices and our classrooms incorrectly?
When considering great leaders, we often think of those who are big personalities and great orators. US business schools famously encourage almost salesmen-like bravado and confidence. In US film, television and real life, the ‘cool kids’ are usually those with large personalities. In fact the idea of ‘coolness’ is a scientific one because, as Cain tells us, research shows that the temperature of extraverts’ skin remains cooler than introverts when in stimulating social situations.
In the 20th century, when American culture spread worldwide, the pressure was to develop “a healthy personality for every child,” which promoted extravert characteristics. However, as Cain points out: “The secret to life is to put yourself in the right lighting. For some it’s a Broadway spotlight; for others, a lamplit desk.”
Cain directs our attention towards Rosa Parks, Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein and Eleanor Roosevelt, who led by listening, observing and finding strength and resolve in their purpose. She goes on to celebrate the introverted characteristics of concentration, persistence, focus, empathy and understanding. The greatest thinkers, artists, engineers and scientists of our history were mainly introverts. So then, how can we encourage budding brilliant introverts to thrive in classrooms and the workplace?
Evidence has shown that open plan office spaces don’t work for most people as they “reduce productivity and impair memory.” In order to produce high quality work, most people need peace and quiet so they can concentrate. When we then think about our grouped classroom setups, which promote conversation, group work and stimulation, I worry about the damage this may be doing to our introverted students and what learning is being lost.
Taking this one step further, Cain explores the difference between trends in Western and Asian cultures. She begins by comparing the salesman-style, individual evangelical American religious leaders with the Eastern religious practices of Buddhist monks who meditate quietly on compassion. While noting that she is making sweeping generalisations, Cain highlights the pattern that introversion and a community spirit are more common in Asia, while Western cultures tend to be more extravert and individualistic.
What then happens when the two meet? Cain has interviewed Chinese students in California who are marginalised in the American system, partially due to a “deference barrier” and partly because Asian children are brought up to believe it is their job to study and that they shouldn’t waste the time of others by talking too much. History has shown us that it is these quiet, hard-working, determined individuals who ultimately can be the most successful, certainly in tech, engineering and medicine.
The Harvard Business Review agrees: it recently published an article saying that we need to stop forcing introverts to act like extraverts as: “The same activity can be restorative for one person and stressful for others.” Cain writes about “restorative niches” - places and spaces where we can go to refresh and re-energise. For example, I know that I am refreshed by a conversation with a friend, while I have friends who need to step away and have time alone after a busy day.
What is clear is that the world is made of introverts and extraverts, who need each other to bring balance and who work best when there is a healthy mix. As leaders in schools and workplaces then, we need to start building environments and conditions where everyone can thrive.
In Quiet, Cain shares all of the scientific research behind why we behave and respond the way we do and gives multiple suggestions for how to get the best out of all types of people. It is a fascinating and educational read for all of us: quiet or not!
