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

How times change. It seems only yesterday we were holding collaboration up as the modus operandi for original design. At Furniture Futures, a symposium held at the V and A organised by John Makepeace in 2010 there were many speakers who all brought fresh thought to the table. If there was any thread running through all speakers presentations it was one of collaboration. Now a new book puts the misconception to test. 

Susan Cains Quiet argues that what she calls 'the New Group Think' is profoundly misconcieved. Solitude produces the best results. Collaboration may be more fun, providing the comfort of noise and company, and it is increasingly part of our education, work and culture, but it works against originality.

Cain is making an obvious point but one which seems to have been forgotten: 'People are more creative when they enjoy privacy and freedom from interuption'.

Research supports her. In a survey of 600 computer programmers at 92 companies, it was found that, while those within the same firm performed similarly, there was a huge gap in effectiveness between companies. Those offering staff a degree of privacy produced the best results.

Where did it come from, the obsession with groups? One explanation is the unquestioned and wrong headed assumption that, if one person can produce a good idea, several together can only achieve more Our culture may be self obsessed but, wierdly, it is also one in which the noise of crowds drowns out the unconventional and individual.

The aversion to solitude is now pervasive. One would think, for example, that writing would be an obviously self reliantprofession. Yet, thanks to creative writing courses, would be authors are encouraged to believe that, if they meet other writers regularly, sharing their problems, reading out their latest chapter, they will not only learn more and feel less alone, but will actually write better.

It is disasterous and politically harmful that schools are infecting children with Groupthink. Solitude is good. It may be harder work, requiring more self discipline and generally be less fun, but it forces individual ideas and character to come through. No matter what the tewam leaders might say, it is likely to be a lot more personally satisfying too.