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starrysteph 's review for:
The Introvert's Way: Living a Quiet Life in a Noisy World
by Sophia Dembling
hopeful
slow-paced
The Introvert’s Way is an earnest cheer for introverts who struggle with confidence & acceptance. I’m just not sure we needed it.
“All our lives, we introverts have bought into the myth that extroversion is better and is the American way … Introversion is considered odd, distressing, even serial killer-ish.”
This book is a collection of blog posts. Because of this, the chapters were self-contained (I would have enjoyed many of them as solo pieces), but the throughline wasn’t clear & many chapters felt repetitive alongside others. It got to be a bit bland and boring.
And while some thoughts did resonate with me, it was mostly generalizations and didn’t feel truthful or strictly “accurate”. These were personal reflections and not based on scientific evidence. This was Sophia’s introverted way, and perhaps would have been better crafted as a memoir.
It’s ironic that she’s writing to break down stereotypes - but is perpetuating others. Not all introverts are quiet. Not all introverts enjoy being a “flâneur” and watching others in public spaces. Not all introverts are slow thinkers or decision makers.
“The theme of this book, what I hope you’ve taken away, is that introversion is simply another way of being from extroversion and that it is up to us to recognize it, accept it, and learn to live the way we feel most comfortable and complete.”
The Introvert’s Way was published 10 years ago in 2012. Perhaps it felt more necessary then. It’s the introvert’s guide to self-acceptance, but most people I know (myself included) are content to be introverts. And (at least in 2022) I don’t think that’s unusual. Maybe introverts are generally more accepted in American society today, or maybe I’ve just not been around folks who have cared.
However, if you feel isolated in your introversion, this book would feel very validating. And I enjoyed quite a few of the personal stories - pointing to things that I experienced but had never thought about in a deep way or as related to introverted qualities.
I likely would have enjoyed her blog! But overall, I did not feel it was a strong read.