Feedback on the book “Introverts - how to use the features of your character” or why you should not watch porn in the workplace

The author of the book is Susan Kane , who has studied the phenomenon of introversion for many years. For the first time about it, I learned from the blog of my colleague, Olga Romanova . The book was so useful that now I just can not share it. And read it or not, decide for yourself.

Who are introverts

Conventionally, all people can be divided into two groups, introverts and extroverts. Introvert - a person who knows how to interact one on one is better than in a group. Work better alone, better expressing thoughts in writing. They love to dive deeply into work, they do not cope well with the need to perform several tasks at the same time and get off the rhythm when they are distracted. Introverts do not like to discuss matters before their completion, they do not like direct conflicts, they take a lot of risk. With extroverts, respectively, everything is strictly the opposite. But we must remember that pure introverts and extroverts are very few.

Myths

At least the following myths are considered and dispelled in the book:

• Introverts are uncommunicative people. Sociable. They just prefer to communicate one on one. Communication in a large group, even in a positive, benevolent atmosphere, drinks all its forces out of them. Sorry for the picture with the text in jpeg. It is not quite true, but the essence conveys.
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• Introverts are not suitable for leadership positions. Strangely enough, they are suitable, but the combination of either “leaders extrovert - employees introverts” or “leader introvert - employees extroverts” would be ideal. In the first case, the main thing is for the manager to learn how to listen to them, and not just speak. Extrovert leaders love their ideas a lot more. It is enough for an introvert manager to be himself, listen to ideas, weigh the pros and cons. You won't have to lead anyone by the hand, extroverts are quite energetic in themselves. But to negotiate with other managers or customers it will be somewhat more difficult.
  
  
• The usefulness of brainstorming. The book will be a bunch of references to research, which boil down to one thing: brainstorming does not work. Yes, a group can generate a bunch of ideas, but as the number of participants increases, the number, and more importantly, the quality of ideas decreases. Introducing all sorts of rules like “not condemning other people's ideas” does not help. The fact that no one comments on the idea right here and now does not mean that no one thinks about it badly and does not discuss it later, or remind her of it. And since a human being is a social being, he will still think “how will they relate to my idea”.
  
  The funny thing is that the resolution of the discussion of ideas does not help in this situation. As an example - the story of one of the experiments on the fear of conviction . A group of students was assembled, she was asked to check her eyesight. An image of 3 segments of different lengths was shown, asked to name which of the 3x is longer than the other two, and which of them is equal to 4th, the reference one. 95% answered correctly . After the group included people who told a notorious lie. Now only 25% of students gave correct answers! Moreover, the study by scanning the brain showed that it was not an agreement with a lie, no, the very opinion changed . " Judging by the results of these experiments, the groups have the same effect on the human brain as psychotropic substances. " (Quote from the book).
  
  Considered such a phenomenon as crowdsourcing . It is painfully often liked to cite as an example the success of Wikipedia or Linux, but somehow it is forgotten that all the participants of these projects were not driven into one open space, they worked alone, in a comfortable environment for them, corresponding to each other in real time. mail or conference / mailing. Introverts work more effectively on a common cause, doing their part of the work alone.
  
  
• Introverts are smarter than extroverts. Not. According to studies, there are no obvious differences in the level of IQ. Moreover, extroverts even better cope with tasks that must be performed in a hurry or under social pressure; they show better results when performing multiple tasks simultaneously. However, introverts are much better able to cope with tasks, in solving which persistence plays an important role.
  
  
  QUOTE FROM THE BOOK.

  Perseverance is not an approved quality. If a genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent sweat, then in our culture the value of this one percent is too exaggerated. We like his flashy shine. But the remaining ninety-nine percent has much greater potential.

Physiology

In the first chapters of the book, the main physiological features of extroverts and introverts are considered. The first key point lies in the area of ​​the brain called the “ amygdala ”. It is this information that receives information from the sense organs and then transmits to the nervous system information about how to respond. For introverts, it reacts more strongly than extroverts, such people are united by the term “highly reactive” or “highly sensitive”. Such people grow up prudent, cautious, serious. It is understandable, if any stimulus is perceived by you sharply, you will begin to worry here.

Of course, this reason alone does not affect who you will become, an introvert or an extrovert, an experience that lays the character still plays a significant role. In one situation, temperament can affect more, in another environment. As always in psychophysiology, there are always more than one reasons.

But not a single almond-shaped body. There is also the prefrontal cortex , which helps us, among other things, to overcome unfounded fears. However, the prefrontal cortex does not control the amygdala, namely “damping signals”. Therefore, in a stressful situation, the long-forgotten fear of heights or performances may return, because the prefrontal cortex is occupied with more important matters.

The second key difference between introverts and extraverts is the level of activity in the brain structure, which is often referred to by the term “ reward system ”. In introverts, it is less active, as a result, they are less susceptible to “overexcitement in anticipation of reward.” And pay attention, they are no less sensitive to the reward, they just better know how to control this craving and ask themselves: “do I really need this carrot?”.

The world of extroverts (but not quite)

Further in the book is considered the indisputable fact that extraversion in American society is an ideal behavior. And not only in the US, we are still the same.


But society needs both extroverts and introverts. Extroverts often do not hear what introverts say (and they don’t do it), extroverts push their idea, even if it’s not good enough. Harvard - Wednesday for extroverts. From there go people who later occupy high positions and decide our fate. Susan has a whole chapter devoted to the collapse of Wall Street in 2008. In the hands of aggressive people capable of taking risks, there was too much power. The prudent did not decide, but they did not suffer as much.

An interesting point is the fact that in Asia the opposite is true - the introvert thinker is the ideal, activity and the habit of speaking confidently, thoughtlessly, is considered a sign of nearness, emptiness.

Tips

In general, various tips and tricks are scattered throughout the book, but mixed up in a heap of reasoning and examples. Nevertheless, some chapters give very direct, specific advice.

The fifth chapter, for example, has the subtitle “beyond temperament (and the secret of public speaking for introverts)". Although the "secret" itself is considered somewhere closer to the end of the chapter, and it’s not a secret at all ... But I will not quote it. read the book itself, believe me, it will be interesting.;)

The last part of the book (in the amount of three chapters) is called “How to love, how to work” and contains answers to questions like “how can an introvert communicate with an extrovert (and vice versa)”. If in 14 words, the introvert will have to go in a pseudo-extrovert mode, and an extrovert will have to watch that, and not as his interlocutor says, and take into account that tête-à-tête talks will give great benefit to both of them.

The latest chapter is fully devoted to the question “How to raise an introvert child,” and I think it will be useful for any parents. Still, how do we work in schools with introverts? Diary entries like “Lena talks little with other students! This is a serious problem! ”- an ordinary matter. Parents adhere to the same logic of mental abuse of the child, which is fundamentally wrong. But the thought passes through the entire book with the red line that introversion is not a disease, not a deviation or a vice, it is just another way to perceive the world and interact with it.

Disadvantages of the book

However, before you get acquainted with this wonderful book, you should learn about some of its shortcomings.

First, it is written in a very American style. That is, any thought will be chewed to the subatomic level, from this you begin to simply get physically tired. There is a feeling that not even 10 * , but all 15% -20% could be thrown out without prejudice. On the other hand, this is just my opinion.

* This is the advice of Stephen King from the book “How to write books”, “pure copy = draft - 10%”. Great book, I recommend as a bonus read to read here.

Secondly, in some places the style is somewhat tongue-tied, perhaps this is already the fault of the translator. Although for the most part the book remains quite readable.

Thirdly and most importantly, DC Comics fans resent seeing this quote from the book: "... is equivalent to the solitude of Batman, the last son of Krypton ...". No, maybe it was conceived mixing two franchises for fun, but still more like a joint. I do not deny the possible initiative of translators.

Who should read this book

All without exception.

Introverts - it will help to overcome the problems of self-identification, to draw conclusions, to do what you like, to change the work or the style of work organization, to understand the relationship. The book will go both in terms of practical advice, and in motivational terms, will be something to think about. In the end, the thought goes through the whole book that introversion is not a vice and a disadvantage, so you just need to learn how to use your strengths. Even if someone takes out only this thought from the book - this is a victory.

Extroverts - because, according to research, introverts make up between one third and half of the population. There are probably introverts among your colleagues, even if some of them have a pseudo-extrovert behavior. Without the need to play this role, they could work more comfortably, and therefore more efficiently. Would you agree to live in a world without Newton or Einstein, Linus Torvalds or Bill Gates?

Even to amateurs to prove, “that the author is wrong, everything that was said is nonsense” - there are many, very many references in the book to sources used and research, the bibliographic part will be envied by another PhD thesis.

So now you simply have no excuses! Moreover, in such a short article I could not enumerate everything that is in this book. Read, think and make this world even a little better.

PS Many thanks to Olga Romanova , for having led me to this book, and to Igor Lukanina , for helping to make this post more understandable and less tedious.