William Pannapacker:
We now live under a kind of extrovert tyranny, Cain writes, and that has led to a culture of shallow thinking, compulsory optimism, and escalating risk-taking in pursuit of success, narrowly defined. In other words, extroverts--amplifying each other's groundless enthusiasms--could be responsible for the economic crisis because the do not listen to introverts, even when there are some around (and they are not trying to pass as extroverts).
Introversion is definitely not generally respected in our culture anymore. Some view it as a mental deficiency. This view has permeated schools, businesses, and even our churches. (How did extroversion become a sign of spirituality? What about the monastics?)
As a society, we need to value the introvert and look to them for the insight and wisdom that comes more naturally to someone who is silent and contemplative.
