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Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can ... - WordPress.com

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poignant decision to give it all up tospend more time with her family. Whenshe’s f<strong>in</strong>ished, the toastmaster <strong>of</strong> theeven<strong>in</strong>g asks the group whether theybelieve Sheila’s story. All hands <strong>in</strong> theroom go up. <strong>The</strong> toastmaster turns toSheila and asks whether it was true.“I can’t even carry a tune!” shebeams triumphantly.Sheila <strong>com</strong>es across as dis<strong>in</strong>genuous,but also oddly sympathetic. Like theanxious readers <strong>of</strong> the 1920s personalityguides, she’s only try<strong>in</strong>g to getahead at the <strong>of</strong>fice. “<strong>The</strong>re’s so much<strong>com</strong>petition <strong>in</strong> my work environment,”she confides to the camera, “that itmakes it more important than ever tokeep my skills sharp.”But what do “sharp skills” look like?Should we be<strong>com</strong>e so pr<strong>of</strong>icient at selfpresentationthat we can dissemblewithout anyone suspect<strong>in</strong>g? Must we106/929

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