 | For all you "Loner's" and "rugged individualists" out there, I'd like to recommend the INTROVERT ADVANTAGE by Marti Olsen Laney. For the longest time I used to wonder why I was not more outgoing, why being in a crowd drained my energy, being around others too long left me feeling like I needed to go to the moon to get away. Friends did nor understand, my lack of interest in going out after work or hanging out was taken as snobbery or antisocial behavior (and when you are an Objectivist, that just complicates matters more!)It seems like each year, I would tell myself, "THIS IS THE YEAR I COME OUT OF MY SHELL!" And after a night out, the shell became more calcified.
Then I found THE INTROVERT ADVANTAGE, which explained that introversion is not just shyness or antisocial behavior, but a matter of innate brain structure. The first half of the book focuses on the science of the brain chemistry of introverts, and describes the differences in the neural pathways, which affects not only introversion but other factors such as how they learning and sensation (i.e. sensitivity to loud and soft noises.)
The second half of the book comes off as a bit of self-help cheese, but there are some good points. With the majority of people being extraverts, introverts are at a disadvantage in social situations like work and romance. Often the perception of being shy leads some introverts to force themselves into social situations that ultimately wear them out, while the perception of being antisocial may become self-fulfilling prophecy, leading the introvert to believe it must mean a separateness from the rest of humanity (it's no coincidence that many villains in literature are depicted as loners.) Olsen Lane presents some ideas for introverts that may help foster a more informed relation between introverts and extraverts.
You can see more about the book at Amazon.com, or check out the site http://theintrovertadvantage.com. |
The Introvert Advantage by Marti Olsen Laney
