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When someone speaks to an introvert, her brain responds with a high level of activity. It is as if several lights start flashing on a control panel.

From Laurie Helgoe

Introverts like being introverts. We are drawn to ideas, we are passionate observers, and for us, solitude is rich and generative.

From Laurie Helgoe

The ability to reflect is associated with critical thinking and reasoning ability. And the capacity to be alone is one of the highest levels of development. It's important to know how to self-soothe and be confident of other people's love even when they're not there in front of you.

From Laurie Helgoe

When an introvert is quiet, don't assume he is depressed, snobbish or socially deficient.

From Laurie Helgoe

If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to get to the good stuff, you need to slow down.

From Laurie Helgoe

I am very troubled by the tendency to define introverts by what they lack. Introversion is a preference, not a fallback plan.

From Laurie Helgoe

I loved the study of psychology. I didn't love seeing patient after patient. I was perpetually overstimulated, busy decoding everything I took in.

From Laurie Helgoe

Often confused with shyness, introversion does not imply social reticence or discomfort. Rather than being averse to social engagement, introverts become overwhelmed by too much of it, which explains why the introvert is ready to leave a party after an hour and the extravert gains steam as the night goes on.

From Laurie Helgoe

Extraverts are comfortable thinking as they speak. Introverts prefer slow-paced interactions that allow room for thought. Brainstorming does not work for them. Email does.

From Laurie Helgoe

America is a noisy culture, unlike, say, Finland, which values silence. Individualism, dominant in the U.S. and Germany, promotes the direct, fast-paced style of communication associated with extraversion. Collectivistic societies, such as those in East Asia, value privacy and restraint, qualities more characteristic of introverts.

From Laurie Helgoe

Laurie Helgoe

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