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

through the prism of a quiescent
nervous system versus a reactive one. It
was as if centuries of philosophical inquiry
into the mystery of human personality
had led to this shining moment
of scientific clarity. There was an easy
answer to the nature-nurture question
after all—we are born with prepackaged
temperaments that powerfully
shape our adult personalities.
But it couldn’t be that simple—could
it? Can we really reduce an introverted
or extroverted personality to the
nervous system its owner was born
with? I would guess that I inherited a
high-reactive nervous system, but my
mother insists I was an easy baby, not
the kind to kick and wail over a popped
balloon. I’m prone to wild flights of
self-doubt, but I also have a deep well
of courage in my own convictions. I
feel horribly uncomfortable on my first
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