One day, introverts will rule the world

-

Okay, perhaps that's an exaggeration, but I wanted to grab your attention, so stick with me.

In my upcoming book, I argue that our education system is disadvantaging introverted children to the extent that many of our young people will leave school without reaching their full potential. I put forward the case for making significant changes in practice to address this disadvantage and unleash the potential of introverts. I am really excited to have the opportunity to contribute to changing our school culture in this way.

I read a news story yesterday which could serve as a metaphor for my mission, so I want to share that with you in this blog. If you haven't already done so, I suggest reading my post from yesterday on my other blog (exheadteacher.blogspot.com) in conjunction with this one, as there is a clear connection between them.

The news story in question related to Ukraine's successful drone attack on Russian bombers, a strategic attack that reportedly took 18 months to plan and was executed with the precision usually seen in Hollywood spy movies. An attack from the 'warrior culture' that the USA are trying to establish would have looked very different - images of Rambo marching in and blowing up planes with a rocket launcher come to mind!

But what does this have to do with my own mission, one to make our schools more introvert-friendly? Well, one would have to ask, what kind of minds came up with the Ukraine plan? Would it have come from passionate, reactive extroverts, or from thoughtful, deep-thinking introverts? 

I know where my money would be. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

So you think you might be an introvert?

-
Most people confuse being introverted with being shy, and there is an overlap in the definitions, but it is possible to be a shy extrovert or even a confident introvert! Introversion became a popular term in the 1920s, thanks to the philosopher Carl Jung. In its simplest terms, it describes someone who needs to spend time alone to recharge their mental and emotional energy. The term comes from the Latin phrase meaning 'to turn inward.' The opposite is, of course, extroversion, and extroverts gain their energy from being in social situations. There are a number of tests that you can take to find out more about your personality type, and it is important to remember that introversion or extroversion is not a binary state, but I would suggest that if you answer yes to at least seven out of these ten questions, you are probably an introvert. 1. Do you get tired in social situations? 2. Do you prefer small gatherings of people to large events? 3. Are you comfortable with isolation? 4...
Read more

A typical introverted weekend

-
Quiet, by Susan Cain, was a complete game changer for me. Reading her book has given me some real clarity about why certain aspects of daily life are particularly challenging for me. I am pretty sure that I have made my nearest and dearest sick of the term 'introvert' since I finished Cain's amazing book, though, as I seem to have spent the majority of my waking hours explaining to them that my 'quirks' are not conscious and deliberate, and that I can't help the way I am! On a serious note, reading her book has also helped me understand myself, as I always had a sneaking suspicion that I was weird somehow. This opinion has been reinforced by society and the people within it over a lifetime of experiences, and it is so empowering to be able to say that I cannot help it as I am an introvert. Actually, I am proud of being one, as it gives me a number of advantages over my more extroverted peers. I wonder if being an extrovert is as much a part of the lives of peopl...
Read more