I thought I was gonna have to disagree with her, until she got to the
spectrum between introverts and extroverts part and recognized that people in the middle are actually the ideal (ambiverts). Like she said, someone who is purely one or the other would likely be in a mental hospital. This seems to indicate that both tendencies are somewhat pathalogical, no?
The idea of introversion vs. extroversion is a somewhat simple way of looking at things IMHO.
Conflating the ability to work well in solitude and isolation contemplatively with shyness and lack of social skills is simply false. Shy, awkward people may well tend to be contemplative, but contemplative people do not have to be insecure and neurotic.
In the same way, many so-called extroverts are equally troubled. They crave the spotlight and must be the center of attention because they are either rather low self-esteemed or because they are self-absorbed and insensitive. Many people who get onstage and make their living in the limelight are ridiculously inept in intimate social situations.
I don't think that favoring one brand of freakish neurosis over another is the way to go. A well rounded personality is the way to go. And despite popular misconceptions, introverts are not smarter than others any more than extroverts are more accomplished. The person who knows when to use which skills and has a broad palette to draw upon with nuanced shades, is a
true candidate for mastery in any field. People who paint only in a few shades of neon or a few shades of pastel are generally not all that skillful.
In the end, if you are not smart enough to figure out how to be happy, find your inner peace, AND be able to overcome fear and carry out your plans in a world full of other people... how smart are you really? Ms. Cain spoke about being like Buddha... but at a certain point, Buddha was able to express his truth to crowds of people (as she is doing), and I am certain Buddha didn't need to carry around a suitcase full of books written by other people.
At any rate... TED.com is awesome. I can watch it for hours.
"Curiouser and curiouser..." ~ Alice
"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it." ~ Buddha