What does this guy…
 |
| Peter Pan |
Have in common with this gentleman?
 |
| Chopin |
Or for that matter, what do both these fellas have in common with the theory of gravity, the theory of relativity, Yeats’s “The Second Coming,” Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, Orwell’s Animal Farm, The Cat in the Hat, Charlie Brown, Schindler’s List, Google and Harry Potter?
As mentioned in the book “Quiet” by Susan Cain, all were the result of the genius and creativity of introverts.
“Some of our greatest ideas, art and inventions — from the theory of evolution to van Gogh’s sunflowers to the personal computer — come from quiet and cerebral people who knew how to tune in to their inner worlds and the treasures to be found there.”
I started the Introversion Series here on Peace Garden Writer a couple months ago, before reading Cain’s book bearing the subtitle, “The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.” Cain’s work is terrifically affirming to those of us who find ourselves leaning toward introversion, and has given me even more fodder for my series.
I’m committed to continuing offering up my observations, using Cain’s insights as prompts, until I’m satisfied I’ve plumbed the topic to the depths. Why? Because discovering my own introversion has been so beneficial. It has helped me feel more comfortable in my natural-born thin skin, and I’ve found the research fascinating, and useful, not only for helping me understand myself better but those around me as well. The benefit has been such that I want to now do what I can to share it with others who may find the topic useful.
I have much to cover, everything from the best use of office space for introverts, to how some of the things about us that have been viewed as detriments can be our most cherished qualities.
As Cain observes, “introverts living under 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.”
We don’t have to discount our core anymore than we need to belittle those who don’t share our same inclinations toward introversion. We can all live happily together. But in order for the peaceable kingdom to happen, we must first become more aware of what introversion is, and how we can, after naming it, claim it.
Thanks for coming with me on this “journey into the interior of an introvert” with me. I hope you come away feeling enlightened and with a greater capacity to understand yourself and your fellow human/s.
What do you think of when you hear the word “introvert?” I’ll start my next post with your answers.
Until then, enjoy the noise in whatever amount you can handle, but don’t be afraid to seek plenty of quiet, especially now in the Advent season — the season that seems tailor made for introverts, who tend to long for the hushed world.
Leave a Reply