Matthew Simpson

Dr. Bonnie Whitener

EN 102-018

7 Feb. 2023

The Introverts’ Spokeswoman: Rhetorical Analysis of

Susan Cain’s “The Power of Introverts”

Today’s society largely places value on people based on how well they speak and interact with

others. Companies and peers place a value on a person after one interaction. So, what does that mean for a

person who might be an introvert and does not speak well in front of new people? Many times, companies

value them much less than their extroverted counterparts. To combat this, in a 2012 Ted Talk, Susan Cain

makes an argument that introverts have extraordinary skills and talents that should be valued equally. In

her speech entitled "The Power of Introverts,” Cain utilizes research, personal experience, and emotional

appeal to strengthen her argument and convince viewers.

Cain opens and closes her speech with a bag to give a personal, and emotional feeling to the

viewer. She begins by telling a story about a summer camp she had attended. At that camp, her bag was

full of books that she thought she would be able to read, however, that was not the case. She described it

as being, “like a keg party without any alcohol” (Cain 0:46). It was a place where Cain felt that

“somehow my quiet and introverted style of being was not necessarily the right way to go, that I should

be trying to pass as more of an extrovert” (2:30). The speaker uses a story about summer camp because it

is an experience that many people can relate to and may have had the same feelings as she did. Toward

the end of her speech, she makes another reference to her bag, opening it this time and pulling out books

that were her grandfather’s favorites. She gave several details about his life including that he was a rabbi.
Cain also mentions how introverted he was saying “when he delivered these sermons, he had trouble

making eye contact with the very same congregation that he had been speaking to for 62 years” (14:45).

She also mentions that away from his preaching, in a call “he would often end the conversation

prematurely for fear that he was taking up too much of your time” (Cain 14:58). This personal experience

shows that although someone can speak in front of people, they may still be uncomfortable, and in their

everyday life they may be uncomfortable by something simple like a long phone call. This story tries to

appeal to the viewer’s emotions by describing someone that may be similar to the viewer or someone they

know.

Susan Cain continues her pathos appeal later in the speech talking about modern classrooms and

offices. She says “nowadays, your typical classroom has pods of desks” (Cain 5:09), where “kids are now

expected to act as committee members” (5:25). Cain tries to appeal to the viewer’s empathy by making

the argument that an introvert, who would rather work alone instead of in a group, is now forced to be in

groups where they may feel uncomfortable or be perceived as “outliers,” or “problem cases” (5:30). In the

standard, open plan office, Cain says “we are subject to the constant noise and gaze of our coworkers”

(6:00). For an introvert, who prefers quiet areas to work and be productive, the constant noise and gaze

that Cain mentions would be very uncomfortable, and she uses those phrases to help make her audience

understand how an introvert may feel.

Cain also strengthens her argument by implementing an appeal to logos. She begins her appeal by

stating that “a third to a half of the population are introverts” (Cain 3:30). She says this in while claiming

that our community and world experience a loss creatively and in leadership when extroverts are not able

to have what they need, which is privacy and a quiet place to work. When talking about schools and the

amount of group work the students are subjected to, Cain states that “the vast majority of teachers reports

believing that the ideal student is an extrovert as opposed to an introvert” (5:40). The research claims that

“introverts actually get better grades and are more knowledgeable” (Cain 5:45). This goes to show that

introverts are more knowledgeable about the subject, they just do not work well in the groups they are
forced to be in, and that is why teachers think that extroverts are better students. Cain also states that

“introverted leaders often deliver better outcomes than extroverts do” (6:20) and that “some of our

transformative leaders in history have been introverts” (6:40). The statement that introverted leaders

deliver better outcomes stems from the idea that introverts tend to take fewer risks and let others’ ideas

form. She also lists examples of self-proclaimed soft-spoken or shy individuals such as Eleanor

Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, and Gandhi. Cain said “people could feel that these leaders were at the helm …

because they had no choice, because they were driven to do what they thought was right” (7:00). This

tells us that although they were introverted, they felt a reason to become a leader and they are some of the

most influential and famous leaders in recent history.

Susan Cain also shows her credibility throughout the speech. One example of this is when talking

about the differences between introverted and extroverted leadership. Cain referenced research by “Adam

Grant at the Wharton School” (6:15). This is the same research that says introverted leaders have better

outcomes than extroverts, especially when dealing with proactive employees. Around halfway through

the speech, Susan Cain explains how solitude is a crucial ingredient to creativity, she cites examples such

as Darwin, Theodor Geisel a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, and Steve Wozniak to further her point that some people,

especially introverts, need solitude when working to feed their creativity and effectiveness. Cain also

highlights a culture change, citing historians that called America’s early days a “culture of character”

(11:30), whereas in the twentieth century, “we entered a new culture that historians call the culture of

personality” (11:50). This adds to her credibility when saying that introverts are less valued in today’s

society compared to extroverts that have an exuberant personality. Very late in her speech, she mentions

that she “published a book about introversion, and it took me about seven years to write” (Cain 15:16).

This shows that she did extensive research on her book since it took her seven years to write. It also

speaks to how credible she is since she was approved to write a book about this topic that she is so

passionate and knowledgeable about since she is a self-proclaimed introvert.

 Throughout her speech, Susan Cain effectively argues that introverts should be just as valued and

accommodated as extroverts are. She effectively uses examples of schools and offices to show that

introverts are not accommodated to be as productive as extroverts. She also uses the same examples to

show that extroverts are more favored as students and leaders. She cites many sources of research and

examples of leaders that show that extroverts should be no more favored than introverts. She also appeals

to emotions by describing situations or people in her life that could be relatable to the audience, using her

own experience with a summer camp and her own grandfather. She appeals to the audience’s empathy by

using the imagery of classrooms and offices, showing how the situations introverts are exposed to in those

environments could be uncomfortable and difficult to work in. Overall Cain makes a solid argument and

backs up her claims well.

Works Cited

Cain, Susan. “The Power of Introverts.” Susan Cain: The Power of Introverts | TED Talk, Ted Talk,
https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts?language=en.