Couple days ago I got the book titled “Quiet: The power of introverts in the world that can’t stop talking”. But I cannot remember where I got the reference of the book. Nevertheless I cruised through it for two days while thinking the relevance of the content in life. Along the way, Susan Cain mentions Tony Robbins and I checked out who he was online. That led me to watch a Ted talks which he gave about five years ago. Seems very interesting guy with lot of, I mean lot of energy which is almost boiling over his mouth as he talks. In his Ted talk video Tony asks “how do you make people to do something that are beyond themselves”? I would say it is a ten thousand dollar question. If I knew the answer, I probably would not be where I am now – searching in the woods. Right, I guess every great leader wants to know how to do that and how to make it work. Knowing how alone does not cut it. Zhuge Liang once said “the strategy is the mere surface, while its execution is its essence”. I remember reading somewhere that it is much better to have a 100 percent execution on the so-so plan than 50 percent execution on a good one. I guess it will take much more understanding of human psyche along the way to wisdom to master the true skill.
In Tony’s Ted talks, he gave few points worth mentioning here:
- make people feel what it means to contribute and what it means to be a part of bigger picture than just stand by themselves.
- psychological strength that determines the decisions, be a better man than the man you are right now
- The two primary patterns observed on the invisible forces that shape us:
o the state: physical/psychological state shapes us in the moment (short term)
o our model of the world shapes us in the long term
- you must grow. We all know the answer here. If you don't grow, you're what? If a relationship's not growing, if a business is not growing, if you're not growing, it doesn't matter how much money you have, how many friends you have, how many people love you, you feel like hell. And the reason we grow, I believe, is so we have something to give of value.
Anyway, that was Tony Robbins and a good folk representing the extreme extroverts out there. Now Susan Cain was saying that extroverts draw energy from talking with people, and going out while introverts draw energy from thinking or discussing ideas that’s much more to them. There were some statements like USA was oriented towards extroverts and Asians (Chinese and Japanese) towards introverts. On average these statements might ring true, but that’s average – I mean cannot really explain the case by case scenarios. When I interact with Chinese I find most of them extroverts. The most Chinese I interact and communicate are mostly service people (service agents, real state agents, guard, teachers, shop owners etc), but when I see them in halls, in metro stations and theatres, I think most of them are introverts. There is definitely a different dynamic going on between these people than what I have experienced myself in states. Much different! The ideals are different too. Look at the leaders, what they try to convey as virtue. If one speaks a lot among these leaders, I presume they would be received as someone who has nothing worth talking about (that’s why talk BS) or someone who’s strategic indicator went broke and thus speaks non-stop. I exaggerated in saying it but half of the statement is true. In the Romance of Three Kingdoms (one of the 4 famous Chinese stories), the virtue of extroverts are not highly recommended, but the virtues of the introvert is praised highly. The legend itself is a full of strategy and those who are extroverts usually does not do well. Of course, it is a story also life on earth is not simple as putting people into two groups namely extroverts and introverts. After all there more factors than just the personality trait. Nevertheless, it is a good factor to keep in mind when judging people and studying them. These personality traits can help us to find the weakness and strength of our future enemies as well as partners. So life goes on.
2 comments:
I watched Susan Cain’s ted talk a few days earlier as well and was thinking the preference of either characters in Mongolia and U.S. In US, extroverts are praised when it comes to speaking out in class or speaking in front of large audience. I experienced it myself by getting lower grade than expected because I did not talk enough in class. Group works and participation in class make up relatively higher % of the total grade in most classes. In Mongolia, on the contrary, introverts are highly praised in terms of personal characters. We were taught not to argue against elders and to be quiet when elders talking. I, however, felt like the preference of introverts in Mongolia mostly goes for girls. A lot of people say “Oo ene daruuhan huurhun ohin.” Then again, as you said, these are average. There are always exceptions, and we live in rapidly changing society. I see more extroverted younger generations than introverted ones which might be the result of prosperity.
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