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The Reign of Introverts Is Here

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Re: The Reign of Introverts Is Here

#2
I don't see remote work necessarily helping introverts since communication and online social connection is even more important when it doesn't happen by simply being in the same physical space. There is also even less social context to draw upon which is a problem for people who struggle in understanding social nuance. Introverts can very easily not make the extra effort to stay connected with co-workers which will put them at a disadvantage in terms of promotions and so on.

I can see it helping those who have things like social anxiety with in person communication but that's very different from being an introvert.

Re: The Reign of Introverts Is Here

#3
While there is definitely a real notable shift to be described here, I wouldn't want to go as far as saying that being an introvert is a true advantage over being an extrovert now (similarly, I wouldn't describe people like Bezos and Zuckerberg as 'quiet' - they are definitely spending their days communicating with a lot more people than I do, rather than programming alone in their bedrooms. Sure they're not taking interviews from journalists all day, but why would they?).

I make this comment because the largest mistake I made in my adolescence was continually being too quiet, which later on I realized made just about any goal I had harder on myself, whether it was basic networking, meeting potential co-founders, customers, partners, or whatever it may be. It took me many years to realize how to be extroverted in a much more effective way, and even longer to become comfortable with things like cold-emailing people to ask for things.

The skills and mindset of an introvert may be more valuable now, but knowing when you should put on your extrovert hat is still one of the highest ROI skills that one can learn (and also can be pretty difficult for many introverted mindsets to become comfortable with).

Re: The Reign of Introverts Is Here

#4
I wonder how much other traits and attributes that previously had high benefit have fallen off due to the increased amount of remote work.

For example, there is some correlation with being tall and being successful. Probably similar for attractiveness things that don't show up in a video of just your face.

Re: The Reign of Introverts Is Here

#5
> High-paying careers favor those with the stomach for deep, solitary work.

Where can I get some of this high-paid, deep, solitary work? These days software engineering is ultra-collaborative, and I doubt anybody would say that doctors/nurses, managers, finance people, or lawyers are doing deep, solitary work.

Re: The Reign of Introverts Is Here

#6
One thing I have noticed when WFH is that random calls are more disruptive than someone calling to your desk. When someone calls to your desk you're already in that environment. When someone calls you when WFH they're entering your environment - if that makes sense.

I also notice that status update meetings seem to be more common.

Re: The Reign of Introverts Is Here

#8
> Expect the balance of wealth and power to shift accordingly

Haha, no, absolutely not. Power and wealth will still be accumulated primarily through persuading and influencing others. Good luck accumulating significant capital without that!

Re: The Reign of Introverts Is Here

#9

> High-paying careers favor those with the stomach for deep, solitary work. Where can I get some of this high-paid, deep, solitary work? These days software engineering is ultra-collaborative, and I doubt anybody would say that doctors/nurses, managers, finance people, or lawyers are doing deep, solitary work.

Deep, Solitary work does not mean non-collaborative.

You can, without talking to a single human being, complete design reviews, claim and fix 1000s of bugs, review PRs, update and ship documentation or releases, etc etc.

Deep Solitary just means "asynchronous", "uninterrupted", and "self-scheduled" in this context.

Re: The Reign of Introverts Is Here

#10
post #2

I don't see remote work necessarily helping introverts since communication and online social connection is even more important when it doesn't happen by simply being in the same physical space. There is also even less social context to draw upon which is a problem for people who struggle in understanding social nuance. Introverts can very easily not make the extra effort to stay connected with co-workers which will p…

> There is also even less social context to draw upon which is a problem for people who struggle in understanding social nuance.

I find that very beneficial though as people know that written situations lack context (so they add more info) and are more accepting of misinterpretations (so there is a lower penalty).

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