The Gift of Introversion

Also, shyness implies submissiveness. And in a competitive
culture that reveres alpha dogs, one-downmanship is probably
the most damning trait of all.
Yet this is where the shy and the introverted, for all their
differences, have something profound in common. Neither type
is perceived by society as alpha, and this gives both types the
vision to see how alpha status is overrated and how our reverence
for it blinds us to things that are good, smart, and wise.
For very different reasons, shy and introverted people might
choose to spend their days in behind-the-scenes or “passive”
pursuits like inventing, studying, or holding the hands of the dying.
These are not alpha roles, but the people who play them are role
models all the same.
THE POWER OF INTROVERTS | 11