Susan Horowitz Cain is an American writer and lecturer, and author of the 2012 non-fiction
book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, which argues that
modern Western culture misunderstands and undervalues the traits and capabilities of
introverted people.
Early careers Cain graduated from Princeton University with
a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1989 and earned her Juris Doctor degree from Harvard
Law School in 1993.
She worked first as an attorney, and then as a negotiations consultant as owner and
principal of The Negotiation Company.
Cain has been a fellow and a faculty/staff member of the Woodhull Institute for Ethical
Leadership, an educational non-profit organization.
Cain left her careers in corporate law and consulting for a quieter life of writing at
home with her family.
She later wrote that she looks back on her years as a Wall Street lawyer "as time spent
in a foreign country."
Background and motivation for Quiet When asked what she would be doing if she
were not a writer, Cain explained that she would be a research psychologist, saying she
is insatiably curious about human nature.
Cain's interest in writing about introversion reportedly stemmed from her own difficulties
with public speaking, which made Harvard Law School "a trial."
While still an attorney, Cain noticed that others at her firm were putting personality
traits like hers to good use in the profession, and that gender per se did not explain those
traits.
She eventually realized that the concepts of introversion and extroversion provided
the "language for talking about questions of identity" that had been lacking.
Cain explained that in writing Quiet, she was fueled by the passion and indignation
that she imagined fueled the 1963 feminist book, The Feminine Mystique.
Cain likened Introverts today to women at that time—second-class citizens with gigantic
amounts of untapped talent.
Saying that most introverts aren't aware of how they are constantly spending their time
in ways that they would prefer not to be and have been doing so all their lives, Cain explained
that she was trying to give people entitlement in their own minds to be who they are.
Cain added that for her, Quiet was not just a book but a mission.
Specifically, she said she was interested in working with parents and teachers of introverted
kids and to re-shape workplace culture and design, and in particular replace what she
terms "The New Groupthink" with an environment more conducive to deep thought and solo reflection.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts
The Chicago Tribune noted that Cain, a self-described introvert, grappled with her own introversion
as a Wall Street attorney before writing Quiet.
In contrast, Cain described the time of creating Quiet, seven years of reading, researching,
and thinking, as "total bliss."
Seven years in the making, Cain's book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't
Stop Talking, was published January 24, 2012.
Cain's research was published in articles in the year leading up to the book's publication
and in the ensuing months.
In her talk at the February 2012 TED Conference, Cain confirmed her April 2011 prediction that
the ensuing year would be her Year of Speaking Dangerously—for which the self-described
introvert declared she would be training, "as if preparing for a marathon," to be the
best and bravest speaker she could be.
Cain later wrote that her year of preparation had unfolded in "three stages of accelerating
dread."
Cain joined Toastmasters, and as her TED talk approached she scheduled a two-hour crash
course with TED's speaking coach.
But saying her butterflies had turned into "gut-wrenching knots," Cain worked for six
full days with an acting coach immediately before the talk.
Three months after the talk, Cain wrote that she had metamorphosed into what she termed
an "impossibly oxymoronic creature: the Public Introvert."
Wired's Steven Levy remarked that "the introvert aced the talk," which reportedly received
a standing ovation.
The TED Talks video received its first million views faster than any other TED video, and
within nine months had entered the 98th percentile of most viewed TED videos of all time.
Nathan Heller's Culture Desk piece in The New Yorker listed Cain's talk among five key
TED Talks exemplifying the appeal of that lecture series, citing Cain's presentation
of a counterintuitive data-based argument as a miniature theatre piece.
About the time of its first anniversary, Harvard Business Review's Mitch Joel listed Cain's
TED Talk among "10 TED Talks to Help You Reimagine Your Business."
The Atlantic's Megan Garber remarked that the ideas spread by TED are becoming defined
by the persona of the speaker who presents them, citing Cain in particular as representing
the idea of the power of introversion in an extrovert-optimized world.
The publication of Quiet was accompanied by publication of Cain's related writings.
Psychology Today published her blog series from March through December 2011.
Eleven days before the book's January 24, 2012 publication, The New York Times published
her opinion piece "The Rise of the New Groupthink," two days after the book's publication date
Time published her article "Don't Call Introverted Children 'Shy,'" and O: The Oprah Magazine's
February issue included Cain's self-improvement-oriented article "Secrets of a Super Successful Introvert:
How to Get Your Way."
In March, Cain's work was featured in The Guardian on CNN, and in The Daily Mail.
In April, The New York Times published her essay, "An Introvert Steps Out," a retrospective
on her Year of Speaking Dangerously.
Within one week of its publication, Forbes' Jenna Goudreau noted that Quiet was featured
by several major media outlets and was shared extensively across the Web, Goudreau observing
that readers said they felt validated and seen for the first time.
Days before Quiet reached No. 4 on The New York Times' Bestseller List, InformationWeek's
Debra Donston-Miller had noted that the idea of introversion and extroversion is being
widely discussed right now due in large part to a new book whose author "is making the
media rounds."
Following Quiet's publication, Cain spoke at leadership, management, training and education
conferences, including engagements throughout the U.S., and in Canada, Mexico, Norway and
Korea.
By the end of 2012, when Quiet had been named in numerous "Best of 2012" book lists, Cain
was named one of five top Princeton alumni newsmakers for that year, and had been featured
in the PBS-AOL Makers video initiative for recognizing trailblazing women.
Within a year of her first TED talk, Cain had formed an online public speaking and communication
class for introverts, said to emphasize authenticity over showmanship.
Toastmasters International named Cain recipient of its 2013 "Golden Gavel Award," said to
be given annually to an individual distinguished in the fields of communication and leadership.
She also received Harvard Law School's "Celebration 60" Award in September 2013, and in May 2014
was listed in Inc. magazine as being on a list of the 50 most influential leadership
and management experts.
Cain was one of the "TED All-Stars," presenting for a second time at the organization's thirtieth
anniversary conference in March 2014.
Cain's second TED talk formally announced the Quiet Revolution—a "venture backed,
mission-based" organization having three projects: transforming office architecture to combat
the erosion of focus and privacy in modern offices, forming a Quiet Leadership Institute
to help organizations train introverted leaders, and empowering quiet children.
Cain collaborates with Steelcase to design office spaces to include quiet areas where
workers can have privacy for a time, in contrast to open plan offices.
Selected work Cain, Susan, "The Rise of the New Groupthink",
Opinion section of The New York Times, January 13, 2012; appearing in print January 15, 2012.
Cain, Susan, "Don’t Call Introverted Children ‘Shy’ ", Time Psychology section, January
26, 2012.
Cain, Susan, "Quiet: The Power of Introverts / How to thrive in a world that can't stop
talking" Psychology Today,.
Cain, Susan, "Introverts run the world – quietly", CNN.com, March 18, 2012.
Cain, Susan, "Revenge of the introverts: It's often assumed extroverts do best in life,
but a new book reveals quite the opposite...", The Daily Mail, March 25, 2012.
Cain, Susan, Essay: "An Introvert Steps Out", "Sunday Book Review" section of The New York
Times, published online April 27, 2012.
Version appeared in print on page BR27 of the "Sunday Book Review" on April 29, 2012.
References
External links Official website
Susan Cain on Facebook Susan Cain on Twitter
The Quiet Revolution website, initiated by Cain in 2014
Susan Cain video produced by Makers: Women Who Make America