I just finished reading Quiet by Susan Cain. The topic of the book is introversion and how Western culture tends to overvalue extraversion. Cain covers a number of interesting topics such as the relationship between work environments and personality, the downsides to the emphasis on group work in schools, and how differences in levels of extraversion can impact relationships.
As someone who is more towards the introvert side of the
spectrum, I found the book particularly enjoyable to read. I thought the best
take home message from the book was that introverts have unique strengths. The
point is not that introverts can’t succeed in ventures that we assume favor
extraverts, but that they are better served by employing tactics that come
naturally than trying to fake it as an extravert. That being said, Cain also
advocates for structuring one’s life in a way that suits one’s level of
extraversion. The idea of seeking out a career that is a good match for one’s personality
is an interesting point when considering the personality types that are drawn
to political careers.
Given that holding a political office requires a great deal
of interaction with others, it’s a safe assumption that politicians are more
extraverted on average. On the one hand, you might think that this makes good
sense; we need leaders to be outgoing, confident, and able to handle a great
deal of public speaking. On the other hand, research shows that we tend to
equate speaking more with being more intelligent and having better ideas when
this isn’t true. We tend to overvalue presentation ability rather than the
actual content of the ideas being presented. Extraverts may also be less likely
to listen to listen to ideas from others because they are more prone to focus
on their own ideas and leadership. One important quality that introverts may offer
is a greater likelihood of being cautious. Some of the best stock traders are
introverts for this very reason; being cautious and less enticed by rewards
pays off in the long run. Introverts also have a knack for anticipating future
negative events, such as economic downturns. They tend to be ignored however,
particularly when it comes to predicting a bubble burst because expressing
caution is not well-received among investors.
So if introverts make
better predictors of risks and extraverts are more drawn to politics, where
does that leave us when we consider the government’s role in addressing climate
change? I fear that politicians on average are more extraverted and therefore
more prone to dismiss risks and strive for rewards. However, there’s a reason
that a wide range of the extraversion dimension exists within our gene pool; we
benefit collectively when we have both extraverts and introverts. We need
people who are good at marching towards rewards and bringing others with them
as well as people who are good at sounding the alarm when risks are on the
horizon. This range of personality allows us to maintain a balance within our
population as a whole; however, our government is perhaps lacking in this
balance. We need to find a way for the voices expressing doubt and caution to
be heard as loudly as those promising security and future rewards.
