On the surface, the topic of introversion and extraversion might seem trivial and thus is often dismissed and overlooked. That is why, in my opinion, Rauch’s article Caring for Your Introvert (2003) can be perceived as a personal appeal to the extroverts of our world. I believe that by pointing out various edgy moments and providing an insightful view of them, Rauch hoped to shed some light on the matter and prevent the frivolous attitude to it.
The strongest argument Rauch uses to support his claim is his sincerity – most of the thoughts presented in the article are his own. Although he sometimes references other people’s sayings, he does that in a complementary way, so the sayings only strengthen his statements rather than introduce new topics. Moreover, he inserts numerous personal comments in the same fashion, providing an emotional coloring to the text. By being sincere, Rauch attempts to invoke a feeling of empathy in the readers, which can bring increased attention during reading and a stronger desire to listen and understand.
With a probable assumption that any introvert would feel empathic towards Rauch a priori, I can conclude that the primary target audience of this article is extroverted. All the questions directed to readers imply naive incomprehension of the matter, and the author carefully answers every question right away, not leaving any misunderstanding to hang in the air. Rhetorical questions might prove detrimental to Rauch’s purpose of ultimately explaining the problem and providing a possible solution.
In my opinion, the author’s claim is indeed strong. Seeing Rauch’s deep personal investment in the article, my introverted self cannot help but only fall in line. I can see myself in the situations described in writing, and I do agree with the statement that introverts are greatly misunderstood. From an objective perspective, Rauch’s claim remains strong. While the described example situations resonate with introverted readers, extroverted ones might find the questions they so frequently ask themselves in this article. Such ambivalence consequently serves as proof of relevance and thus supports the claim’s strength.
References
Rauch, J. (2003). Caring for your introvert. The Atlantic. Web.