With the release of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain in January 2012 and the TED Talk she performed that followed the book’s release, the positives and negatives of introversion have been brought to the eye of the general public. Introverts are the “other” half of the population. In other words they are the 50 percent who thrive off of the energy that comes from within. According to Carl Gustav Jung, the founder of analytical psychology, an introverted attitude is characterized by an inward flow of personal energy while an extroverted attitude is characterized by an outward flow of personal energy. In essence, introverts are independently energized and very quickly lose energy from social interaction.

It is a common misconception that introversion is a form of social disability. The stereotype of introverts is that they are shy, awkward and do not know how to interact with other people. Because of this, many believe that they are do not fall under societal norms and therefore are at a disadvantage. However, this is inaccurate for most introverts. Not all introverts shy away from public speaking or only participate in individual activities. In fact, there are introverts who love theatre or debate. There are introverts who want to pursue a career in business or politics. There are introverts who communicate more efficiently than extroverts.

Jonathan Cheek, a psychology professor at Wellesley College, proposed a theory that there are four forms of introverts: social, thinking, anxious and restrained. Social introverts is the commonly held understanding of introverts. They thrive in solitude and have an affinity for small group socialization. Thinking introverts are the more thoughtful and self-reflective type. These people are the ones drawn to different creative outlets and tend to get lost in daydreams. Anxious introverts are similar to social introverts in that they prefer solitude; however the difference lies in the fact that anxious introverts avoid social interaction not because of preference, but because of their own anxiety. The last type of introversion is the restrained introvert. This introvert is the type to think before they do any action. They find it difficult to wake up and immediately get into action.

Introversion is more revolved around the energy and thinking process of a person than whether or not they are shy. Cheek’s theory proves that there is more to this personality type than the general public believes. Out of these four subcategories, most introverts can operate just as efficiently as extroverts. They all have the same social ability and mental capacity.

The misconception of introvertism not only hinders the ambition of introverts, but also shames them for something that they cannot control. The quiet revolution is among us and thriving. As Cain states on her website, www.quietrev.com, “I dream big and have audacious goals, and I see no contradiction between this and my quiet nature.”