Susan Cain Quotes & Sayings

“Many people believe that introversion is about being antisocial, and that's really a misperception. Because actually it's just that introverts are differently social. So they would prefer to have a glass of wine with a close friend as opposed to going to a loud party full of strangers.”

“Most people who have grown up introverted in this very extroverted culture of ours have had painful experiences of feeling like they are out of step with what's expected of them. Parenting can pose unique challenges for introverted parents, who fear that their own painful experiences will be repeated in their children's lives.”

“Shyness is about the fear of social judgments - at a job interview or a party you might be excessively worried about what people think of you. Whereas an introvert might not feel any of those things at all, they simply have the preference to be in a quieter setting.”

“Any time people come together in a meeting, we're not necessarily getting the best ideas; we're just getting the ideas of the best talkers.”

“Shyness is inherently uncomfortable; introversion is not. The traits do overlap, though psychologists debate to what degree.”

“All personality traits have their good side and their bad side. But for a long time, we've seen introversion only through its negative side and extroversion mostly through its positive side.”

“Opposites attract, and I think temperament is so fundamental that you end up craving someone of the opposite temperament to complete you.”

“I think the shyness one feels in childhood is often overcome with time. There are children who hide behind their parents' legs, but you don't see grown-ups hiding behind people. It just doesn't happen. I mean, not that often. People develop social skills over time.”

“In most job interviews, people say they are looking for people skills and emotional intelligence. That's reasonable, but the question is, how do you define what that looks like?”

“I prefer listening to talking, reading to socializing, and cozy chats to group settings.”