For almost all of my adult life I have
been telling people that I am an introvert. Their response is always, “No
Marcia, you are not introverted!” They are all of the opinion that because I am
always smiling and taking charge of situations I must be an extrovert. So finding out who really is an introvert has
become my mission in life. Who then is an introvert? According to an article by
Carol Bainbridge, on the website about.com, “an introvert is not simply
a person who is shy. In fact, being shy has little to do with being an
introvert! Shyness has an element of apprehension, nervousness and anxiety, and
while an introvert may also be shy, introversion itself is not shyness.
Basically, an introvert is a person who is energized by being alone and whose
energy is drained by being around other people.” I must say I agree with all the above and
because of this I was fascinated by Susan Cain’s speech on TED.com.
In her well researched and informed presentation,
“The Power of Introverts” on TED.com, Susan Cain
gave an unbiased opinion of
who society deems is an introvert, pointing out some things that I have never
thought of before, but which were all true because they had happened to me. I
have been passed over for certain positions in the workplace that I knew that I
was more than capable of doing. These positions were given to persons who were
seen as more outgoing and who were obviously extroverts. I loved that her presentation was balanced as
she articulated her opinion, which could later become a fact, that there was
nothing wrong with being shy, quiet and introverted. Her style of presentation
was of sharing knowledge and fostering collaborations with her audience. Susan
took the audience back to her childhood so that they could get a feel and an
understanding of what she was trying to say. Her argument for the introvert is very
refreshing.
She brought a suitcase on the stage and started
by talking about her carrying a suitcase of books to camp one summer hoping to
get some reading done, only to be advised by her camp counselor that she needed
to be more outgoing. So she put away her books only to feel guilty afterwards
because she felt the books needed her.
Susan always felt that being an
introvert was a good thing but there was still the need to prove that she could also be
extroverted, so she took a job on Wall Street instead of becoming the writer
she always wanted to be. She is now the best-selling author of the book "Quiet: The Power of the Introverts." Her presentation was based on the research she did for her book.
Her research pointed out the fact that a
third to a half of people in the world were introverts therefore, in her
analysis, introverts should be left alone to what they did best, which would be
being creative and taking leadership roles. Susan claimed that the workplace is
more designed for the extroverts who need a lot of stimulation unlike the
introvert. She spoke of the introvert’s need for solitude in order to be
creative. She also gave examples of famous introverts such as Gandhi, Darwin
and Dr. Seuss who were ‘thrust into the extroverted light’
(my words). Noticeably, her presentation has shone light on, and given me
answers to, a number of questions I have always asked myself. I know understand
why I prefer to be alone, why I dislike group work and why I am so guarded
about what makes me tick. Her being an introvert and having to do these
presentations brings back to my memory the numerous times when my pastor would
ask me to make a presentation to the congregation with me insisting that I was too
shy and he equally insisting that I could do it. In my previous course, Project
and Team Management, my Course Director Nick Carver, pointed out that maybe I
was really an extroverted introvert, because it was all about how one chooses
to unwind at the end of the day.
Before watching this presentation I
believed that me being an introvert would not be able to function in the
entertainment industry. I now know that I am exactly the type of person that
this industry needs. I can be my usual creative self (quietly) and be an asset rather
than a liability. This information gives me confidence but at the same time makes
me want to become extroverted so that I can still hide behind my label of being
an introvert.
The funniest thing I found about Susan Cain’s
presentation was that she certainly did not dress like an introvert! That
flirty little black dress and cowboys boots made for walking were all about the
extrovert!
Yep, with introverts like Susan Cain and
myself the world is in good hands. One day, hopefully soon, both of us
introverts will solve the problems of this world.
SadaBlue………
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