Quietness: A Lost Virtue in a Loud World

“Quietness: A Lost Virtue in a Loud World.” This article confronts a widely-accepted, rarely-examined social value—the “Extrovert Ideal.” Our society, and even the church, values and rewards those who are comfortable in the spotlight and gregarious by nature—and overlooks quieter, reflective types. But was this always the case? And is this value supported by the Bible? Gembola examines these questions and goes on to discuss some implications of both extroversion and shyness in interpersonal ministry.