TOW #24 – IRB: “Quiet” (Part 2)

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

By Susan Cain

In the second half of Quiet, by Susan Cain, the differences between extraverts and introverts are further explained in greater detail.  While Cain points out several advantages introverts have over extraverts, the author also writes positively about extraverts’ strengths.  Through this organization of her book, Cain continues a theme of requiring a balance of both extraverts and introverts in order for a society that is most efficient and welcoming to people of any personality. 

Previously, I blogged about Cain’s research on introverts as leaders, starting in business schools like Harvard and ending with Eleanor Roosevelt and FDR.  She attributes these differences in leadership styles because of introverts’ biology.  Next, Cain comments on the cognitive capacity of introverts.  Quoting psychologist Gerald Matthews’ work, Cain argues that introverts spend their brain energy to focus on HOW a task is completed, while extraverts focus on the END GOAL.  As a result, an introvert, in general, will think more “carefully” than extraverts.  The author puts it simply: introverts ask “what if” and extraverts will ask “what is.”

By explaining the key differences between the thought processes behind introversion and extraversion, Cain can help introverted readers focus on their strengths.  Many times, as extraverts make up the majority of the sound in the room, taking up the majority of the world’s attention, introverts feel the need to conform to society’s extraverted standards.  After reading Cain’s compilation of the power of introverts, introverted readers may start to discover their own spaces in the world, places where they can become like extraverts, but still stay an introvert; what I mean is, these introverts may start to speak out more frequently and share their answers to their “what if” questions. 

I admire Cain’s method of non-fiction writing.  While Quiet is often categorized as a self-help book for introverts, it also targets adults who are teachers to introverted students or parents of introverted children, and Cain helps these non-introverts understand the best way to encourage an introvert to join the world, to find confidence in themselves, and to thrive in such an extravert-driven society. 

Personally, I think Susan Cain has written something magical for introverts and extraverts to read.  From her own advice to parents: “If you’re consistent in helping your young child learn to regulate his or her emotions and behaviors in soothing and supportive ways, something rather magical will begin to happen: in time, you might watch your daughter seem to be silently reassuring herself: ‘Those kids are having fun, I can go over there...’” (249)

TOW #23 – Visual: “The Future is in Your Hands”

Greenpeace

The Future is In Your Hands

Published in Smashing Magazine for the general public to see, Greenpeace keeps its advertisement simple but bold.  By managing the size of the fonts, keeping a consistent color scheme, and including simple images, Greenpeace effectively makes a call to action in order to promote their cause. 

By having different sizes of fonts, Greenpeace controls which words are more easily seen and assign greater value to different meanings.  The largest words on the second page are printed in all caps, boldly affirming “The future is in your hands” (38).  These words are then followed by the smaller words providing more background on climate change, and the link to Greenpeace’s website, but this extra information is less engaging to certain audience members uninterested in climate change.  Instead, the spotlight on a generic “future” can mean anything for anyone, so non-supporters who do not have an interest in climate change can still buy into Greenpeace’s message because every person believes in some kind of future for themselves.

Furthermore, Greenpeace maintains consistency throughout their advertisement to convey a sense of stability and honesty.  The words in all caps, keeping the message brief and to the point, while also matching their logo and publisher, Smashing Magazine.  The colors are simply natural forest green, bright grassy green, earthy brown, and sunny white.  Greenpeace is all-natural and honestly down to earth.

Finally, the simple images reveal the type of people behind Greenpeace.  The tone of the hands and slightly glistening finger nails imply clean workers who are open to working hard and helping the world.  The shadowed tree is the most realistic image on the advertisement, with slivers of sunlight contrasted by the shadows of its leaves and branches.  Every single leaf is shaded a different color to seriously emphasize Greenpeace’s focus on the environment and keeping it natural and beautiful.  The two hands support each other, in order to support the tree, and their position is slightly bent like a handshake, but also like a promise to keep the Earth safe and healthy, so that everyone’s future is safe and healthy.

TOW #22 – Article: “Zootopia in the Year of Trump”

Salon
"Zootopia in the Year of Trump"

By Eileen G'Sell

As someone in love with the new movie Zootopia, I just had to write my next TOW on it.  And I am not the only one to have something to say about Zootopia, as Eileen G’Sell of Salon magazine compares the Disney cartoon to the 2016 election, more specifically to the all the comments surrounding Trump’s campaign.   

As evidence, G’Sell points out the similarities between the protest surrounding Gazelle and the Black Lives Matter protests.  As the pop star says “Give me back the Zootopia I love,” a protestor yells for “predators” to “go back where you came from,” which is (agreeably) eerily similar to how a Trumpist called “If you’re an African first, go back to Africa!”

Behind Disney’s sweet plotline about a bunny dreaming of becoming a police officer, G’Sell argues that Zootopia is really an animated movie AND political film that “challenges any who seek to see it as simply either/or” (para. 20).  She quotes Cinemablend critic, Dirk Libbey who agrees that “Zootopia isn’t simply another fun Disney animated movie” and The Washington Post for dubbing it “the best political film so far this year” (para. 4).  And G’Sell also includes testimony from reviewers who criticize Zootopia for its shortcomings in addressing racism; but regardless, the contention between each of these critics share in common the idea that Zootopia is certainly more than just a Disney animation with the usual message of “dream big and anything is possible.”

Perhaps Zootopia does not offer us an exact solution for the stereotyping and racism rampant throughout our world today, but it surely and clearly reveals a major societal issue prevalent in the 2016 election, and like the inhabitants of Zootopia did among their various species, we need to find a way to coexist within our own divided species.