Introvert conversations are like jazz, where each player gets to solo for a nice stretch before the other player comes in and does his solo. And like jazz, once we get going, we can play all night. Extrovert conversations are more like tennis matches, where thoughts are batted back and forth, and players need to be ready to respond. Introverts get winded pretty quickly.

Introverts are generally more sensitive to low-intensity stimuli - they are mentally alerted to inputs that extroverts may miss.

America is a noisy culture, unlike, say, Finland, which values silence. Individualism, dominant in the U.S. and Germany, promotes the direct, fast-paced style of communication associated with extraversion. Collectivistic societies, such as those in East Asia, value privacy and restraint, qualities more characteristic of introverts.

As an introvert, you can be your own best friend or your worst enemy. The good news is we generally like our own company, a quality that extroverts often envy. We find comfort in solitude and know how to soothe ourselves.

Your nature is not the problem. The problem is that you have become alienated from your nature -- from your power source.

When a quiet introvert talks, heads turn, and that's power.

If the extrovert watches and listens a bit more, the introvert's true mood will become more evident.