Quiet: The Power Of Introverts By Susan Cain

Introversion is a common characteristic among many people today. It is the tendency to favor a quiet, peaceful environment. Introversion, though, as Susan Cain claims, is being perceived as an irregular lifestyle. Susan Cain is a self- described introvert and a notable author of the book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, who has since jumped from her job as a notable lawyer to an introversion activist. She believes society sees extroversion as the more admirable trait when compared to introversion, even though introverts are just as good, she says, in influencing and bringing change. In her speech, The Power of Introverts, Cain asserts that the educational systems command a bias against the introverted lifestyle,
In her talk, Cain discusses the typical, modern classroom setting. She explains that nowadays, classrooms are set up so children are facing and interacting with one another through learning activities. These learning activities include subjects that Cain describes as “solo flights of thought” which is mathematics and creative writing. She goes on to explain that this sort of thing alienates kids who would want to isolate themselves and work alone. These kids are seen as “outliers”. In this rhetorical strategy, Cain uses common knowledge of how some things, such as mathematical and writing advancement, require the student to work alone to better themselves, but they are being handled in a sort of community environment. This common ground of thinking help make the audience come to the same conclusion that Cain is making in her
Cain first begins her speech by telling the audience a personal narrative, a strategy that helps her connection with the audience. In her story, she talks about going away to camp for the first time. Not knowing of what camp is like, she envisions it as, “10 girls sitting in a cabin cozily reading books in their matching nightgowns”. However, once she actually goes, she realizes camp isn’t the introverted paradise she envisioned, it’s more like a wild party, a “keg party without any alcohol”. Learning this, the young Cain realized this sort of environment was a normal and preferred situation. This is the bias that she felt at an early age. This rhetorical strategy relies on the audience’s emotion and sympathy for the confused girl. All through the essay, and especially in the beginning, Cain tries to keep a light-hearted tone by making her audience laugh. For example, during her talk, she discusses how groups usually follow and eventually agree with the opinions of the charming and dominant person there. She then mentions, “…even though there’s zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas – I mean zero.” Telling a couple of jokes is bound to make the audience more interested in what she has to say, it makes the relationship with the audience seem