I think that introverts are encouraged to act as extroverts
because, as Susan Cain explained in the Ted Talk, today people emphasize the
importance of being charismatic, outgoing, and even aggressive. My whole life people have encouraged these
qualities, whether it was in school, sports, or even just my social activities.
I can recall many times when I thought, “why can’t I be as outgoing as this
person?” or “why can’t I speak in front of people like that person?”. Watching this Ted Talk however, gave me a new
spin on things and it was that we need to stop teaching the introverts that
they should strive to be like the extroverts.
That introversion can be a good thing and it can bring about just as
much creativity as extroversion. If we
teach all kids to be extroverts, we’re going to be limiting their possibilities
in the long run. As Susan noted, many
great leaders needed their solitude in order achieve all that they did.
Looking at Tuckman’s Developmental Stages Model, I feel that
suppressing any member of a group would hinder the performing stage. This
suppression can limit the creativity of the suppressed person and thus also the
creativity of the whole group in the long run, which in turn would hinder it’s
growth and possibilities. Specifically looking at the suppression of
introverts, I see this as encouraging conformity by re-molding everyone in the
group to act as an extrovert and conformity doesn’t lead to creativity or
growth, but rather the contrasting qualities and ideas of the group will be the
drivers of growth and change.
Oh and a little more about Susan Cain's views and a quick summary of the goals of her book can be watched here....
Oh and a little more about Susan Cain's views and a quick summary of the goals of her book can be watched here....
https://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=2Z5ZTDh6neQ
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ReplyDeleteLindsey, I found myself doing the exact same thing after watch this TED talk. I had never considered the fact that there is a lot of space on the spectrum for individuals who have characteristics of both an introvert and an extrovert. I was under the impression that there wasn't a "grey" area and you fell under one or the other. After hearing Susan Cain explain her rationale behind the introvert-extrovert model, I found myself questioning what I had previously believed. As far as its effect on Tuckman's, I agree that any hindering, whether it be towards an introvert or extrovert, is going to slow down the performing stage. I feel like the other three dynamics of the module are possible with a hinderance but performing would be almost impossible if thought wasn't free-flowing and people were told to fit a certain mold.
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