J.K Rowling, Steve Wozniak, Dr Seuss and Gandhi – What do all of these people have in common? Just like half the population, and half of all PersonaBubble users, they are all classed as introverts.

Susan Cain author of a new book QUIET: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, believes that, in today’s society, the value of introverts is being ignored. I recently had the opportunity to hear her speak at the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival ( sponsored by HSBC Premier) where she explored this concept further.

‘Faking it’
Cain, an introvert herself, began by describing her childhood, growing up in an introverted family where escaping into a good book was embraced and working alone in the classroom was the norm. This starkly contrasts many classrooms and even workplaces today, where people are encouraged to work in groups or in large open plan offices. She explained how this can result in introverts having to ‘fake it’: learning to go against their inclination of sitting back and thinking things through alone and becoming more of the outgoing, outspoken personalities we’ve come to associate with success today. This is why you might be surprised that even influential people like Barack Obama and Google co-founder Larry Page are introverts, they are just good at hiding it.

Introversion isn’t about being shy
Cain was keen to distinguish the difference between introversion and shyness explaining that, introversion and extraversion refer to how you react and cope with outside stimulation whereas shyness is related to a fear of being judged by those around you. And apparently it’s even possible to measure this in the make-up of your brain. Extraverts have shown to possess more active reward networks in their brains than introverts. This means that when extroverts are confronted with the prospect of reward, getting a promotion, winning money, etc., they get more excited than introverts typically would. This explains why introverts are usually more cautious; they aren’t distracted by the excitement of the reward and can therefore read more of the danger signals.

Celebrate your introversion!

If you’ve taken the PersonaBubble personality test and discovered that you come outcloser to the introvert end of the scale, avoid the urge to see this as a weakness. Many of the world’s most influential people are introverts and it’s been shown that introverts often make better leaders. As Cain identified, they allow others the space to bring their ideas forward rather than speaking over them. In the case of Gandhi, his introversion was the reason he made such a great leader. He was driven by caring for his cause not his desire to be in the spotlight. A study of London investment bankers found that the most successful traders were introverts because they have a more wary and cautious approach to risk.

Cain ended the session by saying that although she wants introverts to be recognised, she doesn’t necessarily believe in promoting them as being better than extraverts. She identified that there are pros and cons to all types, and the ideal is creating a culture where introverts and extraverts can work together.

The points Cain raised in the discussion and her book are definitely thought-provoking and this is shown by the way her book has captured the imaginations of many arou d the globe. Here at PersonaBubble we certainly advocate embracing, and learning to work with, all types of personality and believe that understanding yourself and your own personality type is the first step towards this.

Find out if you’re an introvert ‘faking it’ as an extrovert by taking the PersonaBubble personality test. You’ll can also discover how others see you and find out how to get on better with other personality types by inviting and comparing personalities with your friends. Let us know what you discover below or over on our Twitter and Facebook pages.