Susan Cain’s book Quiet has revealed scientific evidence that life as a nerd is not too bad in today’s society which prides itself on social and professional ambition.

FINALLY, a book which confirms that introverts are not oddballs and social chumps, and that silence is underrated.

Susan Cain’s book Quiet has been a revelation.

We live in a society which prides itself on social and professional ambition, and amidst all that noise, the introvert finds himself seeking a moment of peace.

The space for calm and inner peace has even become competitive – yoga practice is now about how one can push the physical self beyond the limits.

Artistic and literary pursuits have become hip, and events surrounding them are packed.

Social media has added on more noise to one’s life. The Internet may pride itself on transparency, but what of privacy?

Life, for the person who values quiet and reflection, has become an allergy.

Industry is no longer about drive, discipline, excellent work and profit margins. Work is now about being a brand.

When you step out the door, you are a walking billboard of your success.

You are no longer the real you but a “... face to meet the faces that you meet ...” T. S. Eliot had lamented over that very fact, in 1915.

His prophetic poem, The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock had predicted the very future that we call our present.

Is success really about teamwork, a cheerleader spirit, and the brashness and focus of a missile?

Why can’t success be about the mind, and observation?

Cain, an introvert herself as well, discovered at the Harvard Business School that there are two camps of thought.

The “average” HBS student (the word average in this sense, is of course not the layman’s idea of average; you are talking about Harvard Business School) will join an elite alumni of men and women who will be the influencers of your life.

They decide on the who, what and when of wars; they resolve industrial chaos, and it is they who steer you, the hapless human, towards how your life will be, and should be.

A meeting with a Don Chen, “... a bitter introvert ...”, a thoughtful and reflective student, and his friends, open a pandora’s box of anxiety and fears.

Are their voices loud enough, to be heard by their professors? HBS also tries hard to turn quiet students into talkers.

Socialising at HBS is an “... extreme sport ...”, one of Don’s friends admitted to Cain. In short, it’s exhausting to be the peppy, go-getting student who will rule the world one day.

But it’s not just the shark-infested world that idolises extroversion. Creative fields also want and thrive on cutting edge, sparkly behaviours and mannerisms.

Is there any hope for the quiet do-gooder? There is.

Venture capitalists interviewed by Cain express their frustration when they meet with entrepreneurs who cannot distinguish between good presentation skills and true leadership ability.

“I worry that there are people who are put in positions of authority because they’re good talkers, but they don’t have good ideas.

“It’s so easy to confuse schmoozing ability with talent ... We put too much premium on presenting and not enough on substance and critical thinking,” said one.

The book also describes introverts who can be very sociable and presentation-savvy, who also need a good amount of time to recover after a self-imposed period of extroversion.

In Part Four, the book discussed “Free Trait Theory”, which explains why “introverts are capable of acting like extroverts for the sake of work they consider important.” Quiet, is a book one must read.

Like-minded colleagues, friends and I were relieved when we finally read the book.

Finally, there is scientific evidence which proves we’re not oddballs.

When Cain’s book was making its rounds among the nerdy circle I am part of, text messages ping-ponged back and forth for a few days and nights. We’re not so useless after all; we’re just “talented” wallflowers who need prodding to speak up at meetings.

If only the book had been published when we were in our 20s; we would have been able to leverage our introversion at work.

Instead, we were told and subjected to an onslaught of pep-talk and seminars on how to be successful at work, love, and life.

Because the work my friends and I do is so public, the pull to hide away in our little cocoon post-work hours is strong.

Yet I am always asked, why am I not friends or socialising with so and so, or with certain groups.

Part of journalism and activism is about networking and creating strong ties, they say.

Oddly enough, we are working in the most social of industries: the media.

Writing is a solitary exercise, which is at odds with the frenetic chaos you see in newsrooms. Yet, here we are.

It is time that we embrace solitude again.

Have a social media fast; throw away the smartphones for a weekend; stay in but tell everyone you’re away.

When you hike, don’t plunder through the jungle. Not everything is a sport. Life as a nerd is not too bad, you know.

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