Are you an
introvert? Only a quarter of the general population is, but more
than half of engineers are. Some famous introverts include
Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln, Alfred Hitchcock, Bill Gates and
Steve Martin. Although people associate introverts with geeks or
nerds, introverts play an important role in advancing
civilization. They are not the gregarious sales and marketing
types, but tend to be the quiet analysts and designers who are
happy being alone with their thoughts.
Introverts
don’t “shoot from the lip.” They work more from long-term memory
than from short-term. It takes them longer to find the right
words to use in conversation, so they tend to be more taciturn
than extroverts, choosing their words carefully and being good
listeners. Because of the longer retrieval time for long-term
memory, introverts tend to be the people who find that solutions
to problems come to them after a good night’s sleep.
The
Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World by
Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D. (New York: Workman Publishing, 2002),
explores the characteristics of introverts and explains how
introverts can use those characteristics to their benefit. Dr.
Laney, an introvert herself, attempts to explain the sometimes
puzzling behavior of introverts. Since extroverts have to deal
with introverts (she is married to an extrovert), she wrote the
book to be valuable to them, too. Her book includes a list of
well-known personalities of both types; Katie Couric is an
extrovert, for example, while Diane Sawyer is an introvert.
Self-Assessment Included
Some of us
discover our temperaments by taking the Myers-Briggs Personality
test. For those who don’t know where they fit, Dr. Laney
includes a self-assessment in the book; a short
version is available at
www.theintrovertadvantage.com/quiz.asp.
Introvert
Characteristics
According to
Laney, introverts are energy conservers
—
they draw energy from
their internal world of ideas, emotions and impressions, and
they can be over-stimulated by the external world. But when they
balance their “alone time” with outside time, they keep
perspectives and connections. By balancing their energy,
introverts can exploit their perseverance and enhance their
ability to think independently, focus deeply and work
creatively.
Extroverts
who work with introverts should realize that while the latter
may seem quiet and aloof, they may know more than they reveal.
They sometimes need to be asked for their opinions and ideas
before they will supply them. They work well with little
supervision, but may have trouble remembering names and faces.
Strategies for Introverts
Laney
includes seven strategies introverts can use to exploit their
advantages. For all strategies, introverts may need to make a conscious
effort to overcome some
of their introvert inclinations. These strategies include
speaking up more (extroverts may stop listening when an
introvert talks slowly and hesitantly); smiling at people;
laughing; and volunteering to overcome excessive aloneness.
As Alexander Pope said, “Know thyself.” He also
said, “The proper study of mankind is man.” This book helps with
that understanding.
Laney’s book
includes an extensive bibliography, as well as a suggested
reading list. For more
information on The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an
Extrovert World, go to
www.theintrovertadvantage.com.
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