The Next Time You See A Person

Whoever You Are, Bear In Mind That Appearance Is Not Reality. Some People Act Like Extroverts, But The Effort Costs Them Energy, Authenticity, And Even Physical Health. Others Seem Aloof Or Self-contained, But Their Inner Landscapes Are Rich And Full Of Drama. So The Next Time You See A Person With A Composed Face And A Soft Voice, Remember That Inside Her Mind She Might Be Solving An Equation, Composing A Sonnet, Designing A Hat. She Might, That Is, Be Deploying The Powers Of Quiet.

We Have Two Ears And One Mouth And We Should Use Them Proportionally

Introverts Need To Trust Their Gut And Share Their Ideas As Powerfully As They Can. This Does Not Mean Aping Extroverts; Ideas Can Be Shared Quietly, They Can Be Communicated In Writing, They Can Be Packaged Into Highly Produced Lectures, They Can Be Advanced By Allies. The Trick For Introverts Is To Honor Their Own Styles Instead Of Allowing Themselves To Be Swept Up By Prevailing Norms.

A Widely Held, But Rarely Articulated, Belief In Our Society Is That The Ideal Self Is Bold, Alpha, Gregarious. Introversion Is Viewed Somewhere Between Disappointment And Pathology.

There Is No One More Courageous Than The Person Who Speaks With The Courage Of His Convictions.