Chapter 1

[Jerry Wierwille]

The development of favoritism toward extroverts as a neglect of those who value the importance of the inner life was launched with Alfred Adler’s theory of the “inferiority complex” (IC). The IC soon became attached with “introvertish” type of behavior as a way to expose or target what the American culture was seeing as less than ideal. Socialization became a learned behavior that was supposed to manifest in children being outgoing and very engaged with their peers. A lack of such display in social tendencies was marked as a deficiency in the child’s developmental progress and viewed as a handicap to their future success in the workplace.

I laugh at the ideals of the mid-twentieth century higher education institutions that Cain presents, which advocate that the “better students” are those with more conducive personalities for workplace environments with teams, “quick-result” expectations, and high oral communication skills, among other things. Students are not gauged on their test scores or the capacity for learning but on social behaviorisms that are believed to be more suited for employment opportunities in corporate America.

Cain’s discussion on the emergence of the popular personality preference today prompted many thoughts in my mind about how the American culture misplaces the value of personality in hiring. With a majority of companies hiring people because of their desire to have “salesmen” type of workers who are adept at busy office type environments, pressure to meet deadlines, harsh criticism, the possibility of constant interruptions, etc.

One question I have is if the extrovert ideal that came to the forefront in American culture this past century was not a novel cultural phenomenon in our nation but one that is rooted in antiquity, why then are we so shocked that we have adopted it? The idea of associating the internal life of the mind, being intellectual and sensitive, as being something languid and undesirable overall for society, in contrast to the bold, outspoken, orator, public figure personality types, does not seem to be all that different than what most of history has told us. Sure, the focus on character has shifted to personality in some ways, but it sounds like the issues of preferring extrovert personalities has been around forever.

It is hard to develop an identity of introvert origins because being shy or reserved or showing any form of anxiety among social engagements is seen as a weakness and is viewed as a lack of confidence in one’s self. What our culture wants is this fearless presentation that boasts of one’s achievements and abilities and prides itself in the capacity to tackle any obstacle that faces them, not with quiet contemplation, focused inquiry and careful consideration, but with guns blazing and canons roaring riding across the battlefield in this sort of macho “I will show them what I am made of” type of assertiveness and impulsive action taking. That’s messed up IMO……lol.

Cain’s ultimate question is “How did we go from character to personality and not realize that we sacrificed something important along the way?” While she compares the methods of people like Dale Carnegie related to trying to help people be more competent in affecting the way that people perceive you, treat you, and behave toward you, I think it is a valid question but I am not sure if our culture is willing to reconsider in light of the economical, societal, and political success our nation has gained the past 100 years or so…..we likely have deceived ourselves into thinking that the personality model and cultural values we have gained must be good.

“And indeed there will be time
For the yellow smoke that slides along the street,
Rubbing its back upon the window panes;
There will be time, there will be time
To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;
There will be time to murder and create,
And time for all the works and days of hands
That lift and drop a question on your plate;
Time for you and time for me,
And time yet for a hundred indecisions,
And for a hundred visions and revisions,
Before the taking of a toast and tea.”  ~T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, 1920 (excerpt)

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