Quiet

I just started reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain. So far it's pretty interesting. I don't remember a lot of the details, but around the 1920s there was a big shift from the culture of character to the culture of personality, where how you present your self and how exciting you are has become more important than your moral or ethical being. In the culture of personality, extroversion reigns king. Introversion is seen as something to fix in children and adult introverts are misunderstood and less likely to be accepted into schools or hired as employees. It disgusts me. Also, it is one of the reasons I'm considering homeschooling my children. I can't tell yet whether they're introverts or extroverts at heart but I don't want them to grow up feeling like being extroverted is the right way to be. I don't want them feeling guilty or ashamed if they'd rather read a book or are quiet. On the other hand, any introverted children I may have need to learn to live and thrive in an extroverted world.

I thought it was interested that Cain says that the United States is one of the more extroverted countries of the world. She says it stems from the fact that the country was founded by immigrants and extroverts are far more likely to emigrate than introverts are, and that they will then pass on those extroverted traits to their children. Makes sense to me.

I also like the distinction between shy (or anxious) and introversion. You can be an anxious or not anxious introvert, and likewise you can be an anxious or not anxious extrovert. I happened to be shy and introverted as a child, but as an adult I've overcome a lot of the shyness, but I'm still definitely an introvert.