Name: Loane Galvez

The Power of Introverts- Susan Cain – Listening guide

In-class notes
The key difference between introverts and extroverts is: the answer to
stimulation.

An introvert: has a rich inner life, has more of an internal processing,

and being with people consumes their energy, that they will have to
recharge by being alone, although they are not anti-social.

An extrovert: has more of an external processing unlike an introvert,

being around others empowers them and gives them energy.

As you listen
Find at least 5 good vocabulary words from her talk and write them here with their
definitions/translations:
Sage = wise. I did not know sage was a synonym for wise.
poised = elegant, proud
Mellow = soft
Forsake = abandoned, neglected
Assertive= full of confidence
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1. What percentage of the population does she say is introverted?

She says around a third to a half of the population are introverted, which represent
around one out of every two or three people you know.

2. How does she define introversion / an introvert? How is it different from shyness?

In her Ted Talk speech, Susan Cain, who came to promote her new book, explains the
main difference between introversion and shyness. Indeed, while shyness mostly means
the fear of social judgement, introversion mainly means the way one reacts to stimulation.
Indeed, introverted people tend to enjoy quieter spaces to think and work on their own and
usually need some alone time to counterbalance the social energy they put into seeing
other people, while extroverted people will come empowered and full of energy after
spending time with others.

3. Famous Introverts:

She names a few well-known personalities who were also introverts, such as Rosa Parks,
Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, Doctor Seuss or Darwin.

4. What connection does she draw between introversion and creativity?

Susan thinks that introversion is a great tool for creative purposes. Indeed, solitude is
crucial for creativity since, as a lot of creators stated, you find your best ideas after some
time alone. Some even say they would have never got all of their transformative and
revolutionary ideas if they hadn’t had some solitude to think properly.

5. What is the correlation between talking well and having good ideas?

According to Susan, there is absolutely no correlation between being well spoken

and having great ideas. Indeed, she thinks that having good ideas does not depend on
charisma and that everyone had better generate ideas on their own to then discuss them all
and brainstorm as a team.

6. How did urbanization influence the cultural preference for extroverts?

Because of urbanization, a handful of people had to move from their little provincial towns
to bigger cities, which led them to having to work with strangers and having to prove
themselves and their qualities to these same strangers. Consequently, skills like public
speaking and attraction or even magnetism got really important and necessary all of
a sudden, those being more found in an extroverted personality.

7. What is in her suitcase and why is it important to her?

Susan Cain packed books with her, but not just random ones. These are books from her
late grandfather’s favorite author. He was a rabbi and a widower, and it seems like Susan
really looked up to him. He was an introvert, just like her, and had his entire house filled
with books all over the place, which was a dream for Susan, a fellow book-lover. She even
wrote a book about introversion, which she came to promote on this Ted Talk.

8. 3 calls for action:

1. The first call in favor of introverts that Susan gives us is to stop the constant
team work, whether it’s at school or at work, as it does not fit everyone and it
would also allow us more privacy, freedom and autonomy, which is as useful
and priceless as knowing how to communicate and work with others.

2. Secondly, she tells us to go to the “wilderness” and explore life a little. What
she means by that is that we should all take some time alone as this is what
could lead us to our own big revelations just like some famous introverted
had.

3. Lastly, she recommends us to all look into our own “suitcases” and share
its content with the world. By this metaphor, she mostly means that we should
not be afraid of showing our values and skills and what makes us us to the
world, as it can be beneficial and empowering for the rest of the world.

Your own reaction:

1. Do you think France prefers extroverts over introverts? Explain why you think so.

To my mind, France is starting to favor extroverts over introverts more and more each day.
Charisma and skills in public talking and team management are more and more required in
the market today, whether it’s for a job, at school, or even in politics and entertainment.
Classrooms are also starting to look a lot like what Susan described in her speech. Indeed,
with the passing years, I could say that I noticed that a lot more team works are expected,
in all types of school subjects. Nevertheless, I don’t think I would be qualified to say if
France is more focused on extroverts than other countries, as I’ve only lived in France for
my entire life, and I know a bit about Spanish classes since a branch of my family lives
there, but I do not know enough to express myself fully on the matter.

2. She says, “the key…to maximizing our talents is for us all to put ourselves in the
zone of stimulation that is right for us” –what is the “zone of stimulation” that is best
for you? Explain.

I absolutely recognize myself in the way introverted people are described, I do enjoy
meeting and spending time with people, however I also need time to recharge alone at the
end of the day by listening to music or reading a book on my own, since I find human
interactions quite tiring after a long time. In terms of working or studying, I do agree with
what Susan Cain said with cutting the amount of group projects required these days. I do
like working with other people, as it is a good way to learn with the help of each other’s
skills and knowledges, but finding compromises are often hard and I do not always have the
strength to fight for my ideas against more charismatic people. To sum up, I am pretty sure
that my zone of stimulation would be composed of half alone time , where I can have time
to focus on myself and my ideas, and half around people I feel comfortable with, who I am
not afraid to speak my mind.