quiet-the-power-of-introverts-in-a-world-that-cant-stop-talking-susan-cain

rowdy evening? Students at HBS go out
in big groups several nights a week,
says Don. Participation isn’t mandatory,
but it feels as if it is to those who don’t
thrive on group activities.
“Socializing here is an extreme
sport,” one of Don’s friends tells me.
“People go out all the time. If you don’t
go out one night, the next day people
will ask, ‘Where were you?’ I go out at
night like it’s my job.” Don has noticed
that the people who organize social
events—happy hours, dinners, drinking
fests—are at the top of the social hierarchy.
“The professors tell us that our
classmates are the people who will go
to our weddings,” says Don. “If you
leave HBS without having built an extensive
social network, it’s like you
failed your HBS experience.”
By the time Don falls into bed at
night, he’s exhausted. And sometimes
147/929