It may be hard to believe, but solid academic research indicates that people high on the Extraversion personality scale are: happier, luckier, perceived to be more intelligent. As an introvert myself, this doesn’t feel fair.

Getting help is a skill, and each of the seven people profiled in Outsmart the Learning Curve excel at cultivating support systems and finding the right people who in many ways enabled their success. Learn their secrets.

How to level the playing field. A San Jose State study found that attractive people were found to fare better than unattractive people in terms of hiring decisions, promotions, and performance evaluations. Learn a skill that leads to similarly positive outcomes.