The most popular article about introverts ever written
Friend Staci and I grabbed dinner a few weeks ago. We discussed life after USAT and so many other things. In telling some story, I happened to mention being naturally shy and introverted — maybe talking about the fun-but-tiring work of meeting lots of new people at a new job. Or maybe how work had been a place to challenge that part of oneself.
Staci immediately described an old Atlantic story. Her roommate had put it on their fridge, saying something like, "Now I understand you!"
Soon after, a relative Staci was visiting told her about an article that'd helped her relate to her son, a shy kid. It was the same Atlantic story. At this point, I had to burst out. I had the story bookmarked at home.
I had found the article years ago. "Caring for Your Introvert" was the title, March 2003. The instant Staci said the name, I remembered it. I had kept it around to pull it up and get a refresher once a year or so.
Wrote Jonathan Rauch in his lede: "Do you know someone who needs hours alone every day? Who loves quiet conversations about feelings or ideas, and can give a dynamite presentation to a big audience, but seems awkward in groups and maladroit at small talk? Who has to be dragged to parties and then needs the rest of the day to recuperate?"
Jonathan Rauch, patron journalist saint of the introverted.
The story now has 7,415 Facebook recommends, a system Facebook introduced this April. Who knows at what following date The Atlantic added the feature to its site. Again, the story was published in March 2003. Prior to — and beyond — any Facebook system, the personal and mental recommends must be incalculable. Hooray for us, people.
Bearing out the claim: The Atlantic posted an update in early 2006.
Most magazine articles do not, as a general rule, inspire impassioned responses. But in 2003, when The Atlantic published a short essay by correspondent Jonathan Rauch on the trials of introversion in an extroverts' world, the reaction was overwhelming. Rauch was inundated with more enthusiastic mail about the piece than for anything else he'd ever written. And on The Atlantic's Web site, it drew (and has continued to draw) more traffic than any other piece we've posted.
Amid writing this post, another 20 people recommended the story. By the time I publish, who knows how many more will hit the button. Any story that brings together people who tire of being together is good.
Update upon publish: 7,704.
August 8th, 2010 at 6:55 AM
I love this! Thanks for sharing the article!
August 10th, 2010 at 12:37 AM
I have referenced this article an astonishing number of times in my short life.