Where the first half of Quiet's second part is laden with psychological studies, the latter half adds a few neurological ones to the mix. The veritable tapestry of research that Cain weaves is incredible. But, she keeps the book grounded by continuing to use the odd anecdote, either to butress her research or to frame it. Such is the case in chapter 6, where Cain intersperses the story of Eleanor Roosevelt's career and personality with a disussion of studies about introverts, extroverts, and dopamine and recollections from a weekend spent at a small convention for introverts.
Perhaps all of her moving about between perspectives (mostly scientific studies, and personal anecdotes) is part of why Cain's book has garnered so much praise. Shifting perspectives so frequently is a great way to keep the most people's attention. Had Cain written Quiet as a straight collection and analysis of studies or as a sort of memoir of an introvert, it would never have been as big a hit.
However, writing her book to have a broad appeal doesn't mean that Cain stays away from declaring that introverts are better or vice versa. She implies here and there that it's her opinion that introverts are indeed better. All the while, she also makes it clear that the split between the two within humanity isn't perfectly even and that individuals are never purely one or the other.
Nonetheless, after reading about the differences between introverts and extroverts' neurological pleasure centers any debate about the merits of one or the other remind me of Zeus and Hera's argument about which sex enjoys intercourse more. The only way to get a clear sense of it would be to find a Tiresias of temperament who has somehow been both an introvert and extrovert.
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