In this episode, Sharon has a conversation with Susan Cain, the best-selling author of the international phenomenon Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. Susan’s new book, Bittersweet, is about the undervalued power of a melancholic view of the world. Susan talks about how melancholy and bittersweet emotions are connected to our sensitivity and our sense of transcendence, and this view of the world is often overlooked. Instead, we can be bound by the tyranny of positivity: the cultural expectation that we should present a positive outlook at all times, regardless of what we may be experiencing or feeling. When we’re willing to take in the truth and complexity of human experience–the this and that of emotions–we leave ourselves open to a deeper sense of meaning, more gratitude, and forge more connected relationships. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.