For decades, introversion was looked at as something to overcome, almost like an illness. The way to win in life was through charisma, outspokenness, and self-promotion. Even now, in an increasingly noisy world, introverts may feel added pressure to take one of two paths: force themselves into more extroverted behavior, or become even more reserved and shrink back to themselves. My guest Susan Cain says both paths are wrong and in fact, rob the world of the unique contributions introverts make when they choose to be true to themselves. Susan knows what she’s talking about. A self-proclaimed introvert, she wrote the New York Times bestselling book, Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking and delivered one of the most popular TED talks ever delivered, with nearly 18 million views to date. Whether you consider yourself an extrovert, an introvert, or an ambivert (those lucky bastards in the middle) you’ll find a ton of value in this interview. *** For comprehensive show notes on this episode and more episodes go to https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/the-knowledge-project/ Our free weekly email helps you get better results through intelligent preparation and offers great reading recommendations. Don't miss out, sign up at https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/newsletter/ Follow Shane on twitter @farnamstreet and Facebook to go to bed smarter than you woke up.