Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

Research a prominent person who was or is an introvert (other than Rosa Parks and Mahatma Gandhi). How did their introvert traits help them achieve their accomplishments? What lessons can be drawn from this person’s success?

Research or interview a person who embodies the Extrovert Ideal. How do this person’s strengths benefit his or her work and relationships? Does this person have any characteristics that lie outside extroversion expectations?

Research a local school, or consider your own experiences from childhood. How do/did administrators and teachers gear the classroom experience for both introverts and extroverts—or just extroverts? Using Cain’s work, describe what the school does/did well, and what future improvements you would suggest.

In Chapter 6, Cain discusses the complementary relationship of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. How would her argument apply to other kinds of partnerships? What challenges would those working together have due to their personality types and how do they overcome them?

Choose a character from fiction who you think has an introverted personality. Why do you think this character was an introvert? How does personality type affect their decisions? Support your ideas with evidence from Cain’s book.

Research Cain’s assertion that Asian nations have a cultural ideal of introversion. What historical and other factors go into this preference?

Since the publication of Cain’s book, further research has only confirmed that working in groups is not ideal for creativity and productivity. Have these findings found footing in workplaces and classrooms? Why or why not?

If you’re an introvert, describe how you consciously change your behavior to fit the Extrovert Ideal in American society. What expectations are you trying to meet in doing so? How does it make you feel? After reading this book, do you think it’s necessary to continue this behavior? How might you incorporate your true introvert qualities instead?