Another study, of 38,000 knowledge workers across different sectors, found that the simple act of being interrupted is one of the biggest barriers to productivity. Even multitasking, that prized feat of modern-day office warriors, turns out to be a myth.

[Introverts,] the world needs you and it needs the things you carry. So I wish you the best of all possible journeys and the courage to speak softly.

I've never given a speech without being terrified first.

It's as if they have thinner boundaries separating them from other people's emotions and from the tragedies and cruelties of the world.

I'm not saying abolish group work - I think there's a time and a place for people to come together and exchange ideas, but let's restore the respect we once had for solitude. And we need to be much more mindful of the way we come together.

Introverts prefer to work independently, and solitude can be a catalyst to innovation.

Introverts are capable of acting like extroverts for the sake of work they consider important, people they love, or anything they value highly.