Introvert, quietly loud and proud

I read all the time: I always have a book on the go and love Fantasy Fiction (see my geek is coming out already) and I used to hate reading text books.  However when I started training and working as a massage therapist I realised that I needed to read around the subject, as there is a lot of information that I feel I need to know. I travel to my clinics by public transport so I have a lot of time that I could read. I came to the decision that I would read "work books" when travelling to clinics and courses during the week, and save my   reading for pleasure for other times that I read.  I worked out that this gives me about 500 hours of reading time per year (yep, I spend that much time on London Underground).  This might sound daunting, however I find it really worthwhile, and I can cover a large number of subjects in that time.  Some of these subjects will grace this blog as they are important.

I have just finished reading Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking by Susan Cain and I have realised that this love of reading is just one of the signs that I am an Introvert. This is a word that had got so many bad connotations in this world that it has become something to be ashamed of; this book will hopefully help us Introverts to reclaim it and quietly whisper it with pride.

Susan Cain describes herself as an introvert and in this book examines the way that our current, western culture is focused on and celebrates the Extrovert Ideal (loud, brash, "popular", bigger/better/newer, "confident") and is geared to force all western people into this one mould from childhood schooling onwards.  However, some of us don't fit: we like to have quiet, recovery time.  We like to read, think about problems, formulate answers and solutions, and when we think we have it right we will present it with passion (if we truly believe in it) and we are the introverts.

This isn't just a life-style choice, according to research presented in the book there are some physiological differences between us, so no amount of training will change who we fundamentally are, but we might become better at giving a speech.  These include the way that our brains actually function when presented with new stimuli such as meeting new people or being introduced to new concepts.  Introverts' bodies and minds react differently to Extroverts'.

According to the book, many of the greastest minds and business leaders (e.g. Bill Gates) were/are introverts , and they are universally accepted as being "successful", so it seems surprising that introverts are shunned as being lesser creatures that need to be changed to "fit in" and be successful.  Susan Cain provides examples of  numerous experiments that show time and again that under certain circumstances Introverts out perform Extroverts.

Many creative types (e.g. writers) are also highly Introvert and would not be able to function if forced into a brain storming group (great evidence that group brainstorming  is detrimental to both extroverts and introverts).  The book also looks at the evidence that putting Extroverts in charge can lead to a cycle that can spiral out of control (as they can overlook warning signs that an Introvert would heed), but that Introverts are frequently ignored because they don't have the best presentation skills, even when what they are saying is better than what the extroverts come up with.  However, extroverts can get the messages out there with flair and panache, can push for the beneficial risks and are good leaders.

It is one of the key things discussed in the book (although it is blindingly obvious) : Introverts and Extroverts have different strengths and they should be celebrated and encouraged, as together we will be the better for it.

Some people think I am a shy extrovert in that I can talk to strangers, will stand and give a speech at a Wedding or run courses. Yes, I can stand up in front of a room and talk or talk easily with people I've just met,  but I have to feel secure (for example they've approached me and are asking for my help or I'm hosting the party/event) and confident in what I am going to be talking about (I will have spent a lot of time thinking about what I'm going to be talking about, rehearsing what I'm going to be saying). So, I have a mechanism that helps me to do this, but it has its limitations.

I know that I need time away from people to be able to recharge my batteries so I can continue to interact (I will often disappear for a quick walk alone at lunchtimes, not only to get a breath of fresh air but to have a bit of down time), I know that I will find it easiest to concentrate in a communal area with headphones on listening to some music to drown out the rest of the world, which is something I developed to survive Office life. I really do detest open plan offices, and I think there should be a special circle in hell for the person who came up with the idea.  Open plan offices are less conducive for creative work that they are meant to foster, and this book reports on research that shows that both Introverts and Extroverts don't work as well in these environments.

This book has given me the confidence to say that my feelings are valid, that I do not have to be the life and soul of the party the whole time, that I can be me.  It also makes me accept that my clients are also a mix of extrovert and introvert and I will need to adapt my approach to suit them, similarly the advice that I give will also have to be adapted to suit them too as not everyone wants the peace and quiet that us Introverts crave.

So I am an Introvert, and I will whisper it confidently.