Power of introverts演讲原稿

Powerofintroverts演讲原稿TheTranscriptforthespeechof“PowerofIntroverts”DeliveredbySusanCainWhenIwasnineyearsoldIwentofftosummercampforthefirsttime.Andmymotherpackedmeasuitcasefullofbooks,whichtomeseemedlikeaperfectlynaturalthingtodo.Becauseinmyfamily,readingwastheprimarygroupactivity.Andthismightsoundantisocialtoyou,butforusitwasreallyjustadifferentwayofbeingsocial.Youhavetheanimalwarmthofyourfamilysittingrightnexttoyou,butyouarealsofreetogoroamingaroundtheadventurelandinsideyourownmind.AndIhadthisideathatcampwasgoingtobejustlikethis,butbetter.(Laughter)Ihadavisionof10girlssittinginacabincozilyreadingbooksintheirmatchingnightgowns.(Laughter)Campwasmorelikeakegpartywithoutanyalcohol.Andontheveryfirstdayourcounselorgatheredusalltogetherandshetaughtusacheerthatshesaidwewouldbedoingeverydayfortherestofthesummertoinstillcampspirit.Anditwentlikethis:"R-O-W-D-I-E,that'sthewaywespellrowdie.Rowdie,rowdie,let'sgetrowdie."Yeah.SoIcouldn'tfigureoutforthelifeofmewhyweweresupposedtobesorowdy,orwhywehadtospellthiswordincorrectly.(Laughter)ButIrecitedacheer.Irecitedacheeralongwitheverybodyelse.Ididmybest.AndIjustwaitedforthetimethatIcouldgooffandreadmybooks.ButthefirsttimethatItookmybookoutofmysuitcase,thecoolestgirlinthebunkcameuptomeandsheaskedme,"Whyareyoubeingsomellow?"--mellow,ofcourse,beingtheexactoppositeofR-O-W-D-I-E.AndthenthesecondtimeItriedit,thecounselorcameuptomewithaconcernedexpressiononherfaceandsherepeatedthepointaboutcampspiritandsaidweshouldallworkveryhardtobeoutgoing.AndsoIputmybooksaway,backintheirsuitcase,andIputthemundermybed,andtheretheystayedfortherestofthesummer.AndIfeltkindofguiltyaboutthis.Ifeltasifthebooksneededmesomehow,andtheywerecallingouttomeandIwasforsakingthem.ButIdidforsakethemandIdidn'topenthatsuitcaseagainuntilIwasbackhomewithmyfamilyattheendofthesummer.Now,Itellyouthisstoryaboutsummercamp.Icouldhavetoldyou50othersjustlikeit--allthetimesthatIgotthemessagethatsomehowmyquietandintrovertedstyleofbeingwasnotnecessarilytherightwaytogo,thatIshouldbetryingtopassasmoreofanextrovert.AndIalwayssenseddeepdownthatthiswaswrongandthatintrovertswereprettyexcellentjustastheywere.ButforyearsIdeniedthisintuition,andsoIbecameaWallStreetlawyer,ofallthings,insteadofthewriterthatIhadalwayslongedtobe--partlybecauseIneededtoprovetomyselfthatIcouldbeboldandassertivetoo.AndIwasalwaysgoingofftocrowdedbarswhenIreallywouldhavepreferredtojusthaveanicedinnerwithfriends.AndImadetheseself-negatingchoicessoreflexively,thatIwasn'tevenawarethatIwasmakingthem.Nowthisiswhatmanyintrovertsdo,andit'sourlossforsure,butitisalsoourcolleagues'lossandourcommunities'loss.Andattheriskofsoundinggrandiose,itistheworld'sloss.Becausewhenitcomestocreativityandtoleadership,weneedintrovertsdoingwhattheydobest.Athirdtoahalfofthepopulationareintroverts--athirdtoahalf.Sothat'soneoutofeverytwoorthreepeopleyouknow.Soevenifyou'reanextrovertyourself,I'mtalkingaboutyourcoworkersandyourspousesandyourchildrenandthepersonsittingnexttoyourightnow--allofthemsubjecttothisbiasthatisprettydeepandrealinoursociety.Weallinternalizeitfromaveryearlyagewithoutevenhavingalanguageforwhatwe'redoing.Nowtoseethebiasclearlyyouneedtounderstandwhatintroversionis.It'sdifferentfrombeingshy.Shynessisaboutfearofsocialjudgment.Introversionismoreabout,howdoyourespondtostimulation,includingsocialstimulation.Soextrovertsreallycravelargeamountsofstimulation,whereasintrovertsfeelattheirmostaliveandtheirmostswitched-onandtheirmostcapablewhenthey'reinquieter,morelow-keyenvironments.Notallthetime--thesethingsaren'tabsolute--butalotofthetime.Sothekeythentomaximizingourtalentsisforusalltoputourselvesinthezoneofstimulationthatisrightforus.Butnowhere'swherethebiascomesin.Ourmostimportantinstitutions,ourschoolsandourworkplaces,theyaredesignedmostlyforextrovertsandforextroverts'needforlotsofstimulation.AndalsowehavethisbeliefsystemrightnowthatIcallthenewgroupthink,whichholdsthatallcreativityandallproductivitycomesfromaveryoddlygregariousplace.Soifyoupicturethetypicalclassroomnowadays:WhenIwasgoingtoschool,wesatinrows.Wesatinrowsofdeskslikethis,andwedidmostofourworkprettyautonomously.Butnowadays,yourtypicalclassroomhaspodsofdesks--fourorfiveorsixorsevenkidsallfacingeachother.Andkidsareworkingincountlessgroupassignments.Eveninsubjectslikemathandcreativewriting,whichyouthinkwoulddependonsoloflightsofthought,kidsarenowexpectedtoactascommitteemembers.Andforthekidswhoprefertogooffbythemselvesorjusttoworkalone,thosekidsareseenasoutliersoftenor,worse,asproblemcases.Andthevastmajorityofteachersreportsbelievingthattheidealstudentisanextrovertasopposedtoanintrovert,eventhoughintrovertsactuallygetbettergradesandaremoreknowledgeable,accordingtoresearch.(Laughter)Okay,samethingistrueinourworkplaces.Now,mostofusworkinopenplanoffices,withoutwalls,wherewearesubjecttotheconstantnoiseandgazeofourcoworkers.Andwhenitcomestoleadership,introvertsareroutinelypassedoverforleadershippositions,eventhoughintrovertstendtobeverycareful,muchlesslikelytotakeoutsizerisks--whichissomethingwemightallfavornowadays.AndinterestingresearchbyAdamGrantattheWhartonSchoolhasfoundthatintrovertedleadersoftendeliverbetteroutcomesthanextrovertsdo,becausewhentheyaremanagingproactiveemployees,they'remuchmorelikelytoletthoseemployeesrunwiththeirideas,whereasanextrovertcan,quiteunwittingly,getsoexcitedaboutthingsthatthey'reputtingtheirownstamponthings,andotherpeople'sideasmightnotaseasilythenbubbleuptothesurface.Nowinfact,someofourtransformativeleadersinhistoryhavebeenintroverts.I'llgiveyousomeexamples.EleanorRoosevelt,RosaParks,Gandhi--allthesepeopleddescribedthemselvesasquietandsoft-spokenandevenshy.Andtheyalltookthespotlight,eventhougheveryboneintheirbodieswastellingthemnotto.Andthisturnsouttohaveaspecialpowerallitsown,becausepeoplecouldfeelthattheseleaderswereatthehelm,notbecausetheyenjoyeddirectingothersandnotoutofthepleasureofbeinglookedat;theyweretherebecausetheyhadnochoice,becausetheyweredriventodowhattheythoughtwasright.NowIthinkatthispointit'simportantformetosaythatIactuallyloveextroverts.Ialwaysliketosaysomeofmybestfriendsareextroverts,includingmybelovedhusband.Andweallfallatdifferentpoints,ofcourse,alongtheintrovert/extrovertspectrum.EvenCarlJung,thepsychologistwhofirstpopularizedtheseterms,saidthatthere'snosuchthingasapureintrovertorapureextrovert.Hesaidthatsuchamanwouldbeinalunaticasylum,ifheexistedatall.Andsomepeoplefallsmackinthemiddleoftheintrovert/extrovertspectrum,andwecallthesepeopleambiverts.AndIoftenthinkthattheyhavethebestofallworlds.Butmanyofusdorecognizeourselvesasonetypeortheother.AndwhatI'msayingisthatculturallyweneedamuchbetterbalance.Weneedmoreofayinandyangbetweenthesetwotypes.Thisisespeciallyimportantwhenitcomestocreativityandtoproductivity,becausewhenpsychologistslookatthelivesofthemostcreativepeople,whattheyfindarepeoplewhoareverygoodatexchangingideasandadvancingideas,butwhoalsohaveaseriousstreakofintroversioninthem.