Introverts fight back in atypical viral video

A screen capture from a popular video about introverts highlights some ways in which they are different than extroverts. (dwlFilms/YouTube)


Popular YouTube videos typically feature catchy songs, flashy stunts or some other subject too loud to ignore - but, amid the sensory overload, a video calling for introvert pride has quietly gone viral.

The Power of Introverts - Ep 1, is the first in a two-part series based on Susan Cain's best-selling book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. The video's subject matter is combined with minimalist animation and the low, steady voice of Swedish-born narrator Daniel Widfeldt Lomas.

"Today we make room for an incredibly narrow range of personality styles," begins Lomas, adding that in a so-called "nation of extroverts" one third to one half of all people are naturally introverted - which does not necessarily mean they are shy.

"If you're not an introvert yourself, you're surely raising, managing or married to one," he says, noting that many introverted people force themselves to adapt to stimulating environments or adopt the tendencies of extroverts.



Lomas' video has attracted over a million views so far - a number likely to increase following a post by internet kingmaker Mashable. The trend-watching site notes that a TED talk on the book by the author herself has 815,000 views, and a video by the RSA - an animated lecture powerhouse - has had less than 150,000 views.

 



Have you ever been "prodded to come out of your shell," or told that you're "in your head too much"? Do you think society undervalues the personality traits and preferences of introverts?
 



(This survey is not scientific. Results are based on readers' replies.)