Susan Cain
advocate for introverts
Susan Cain
advocate for introverts
timeline
born 1968As a self-proclaimed introvert, Susan Cain was often surprised by her successes as a corporate lawyer until she learned to see the strengths of her soft-and-silent side and help millions of others do the same by writing her award-winning book, Quiet. Since delivering one of the most popular TED Talks of all time in 2012, Susan has had to do the work of a "pretend-extrovert" in order to advocate for the power of introverts as lovers, leaders and innovators.
Though she may be reticent to speak, Susan is imminently quotable. And, she's a collector of quotes herself. Appropriately enough, the quiet revolutionary's favorite words of wisdom are taken from Gandhi: "In a gentle way, you can shake the world."
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her quotes
all quotes by Susan Cain (14)
"It’s about letting your true self speak. It’s about seeing your voice as an instrument and learning to play it right."
Seven Public Speaking Tips from a Coach for TED Speakers and CEOs | september 2011
"As a public speaker, you’re in a service position: a teacher, a giver, an enlightener. Your job is to take care of the audience, not to be judged by it or even to entertain it."
Seven Public Speaking Tips from a Coach for TED Speakers and CEOs | september 2011
"Solitude is a catalyst for innovation."
The Rise of the New Groupthink | january 2012
"Most humans have two contradictory impulses: we love and need one another, yet we crave privacy and autonomy."
The Rise of the New Groupthink | january 2012
"I have such a strong inner life that I’m never bored and only occasionally lonely. No matter what mayhem is happening around me, I know I can always turn inward."
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking | january 2012
"The secret to life is to put yourself in the right lighting. For some, it's a Broadway spotlight; for others, a lamplit desk."
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking | january 2012
"[T]here’s zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas."
The Power of Introverts | february 2012
"Solitude matters, and for some people it is the air that they breathe."
The Power of Introverts | february 2012
"Still in our society, women are not seen as authorities, and young women internalize that."
Makers Moment: Biggest Challenge for Women | november 2012
"Young women sometimes have trouble knowing what their convictions are and defending them, but it's kind of like a muscle that can be strengthened over time, and so it's something you need to do consciously."
Makers Moment: Biggest Challenge for Women | november 2012
"My five year old says he understands the importance of finding work he loves. Thus, he plans to run an ice cream store."
@susancain on twitter | november 2013
"One genuine new relationship is worth a fistful of business cards."
Quiet Revolution | 2014
"'Quiet leadership' is not an oxymoron."
Quiet Revolution | january 2014
"Turns out, embracing their quiet nature does not cause introverts to flee to a shack in the woods. It empowers them to engage with the world – but on their own terms."
Announcing the Quiet Revolution | april 2014
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