Are you a quiet person who has nothing to say and often gets misperceived as being shy?
Me, too. Growing up, I have always been a quiet person and did not have much to say. Because of this, people often perceived me as a shy person. The thing that gets to me is when people think that being quiet is equivalent to being shy. For me, although you can be quiet and shy, that doesn’t mean that you are shy because you are quiet.
Sure, I was a shy kid from preschool to middle school, but that doesn’t mean that I would be shy for the rest of my life. It wasn’t until high school and college that I began to grow out of that shell. College was the turning point for me because it helped me become more comfortable speaking in public, initiating introductions when meeting new people, and being more sociable. Taking on leadership positions in student organizations and meeting new friends who push you out of your comfort zone definitely helps with the shyness aspect. But, that’s not the point. Although I became more confident in public speaking and became more social, I was and still am a quiet person.
There’s that saying, “Think before you speak,” right? That rings true for some people and definitely true for me. But, I found that it’s not because I’m shy or don’t know how to socialize – it’s just my personality! Do you ever feel like you just have nothing to say – not because you don’t have an opinion on something or can’t form one – you literally just have nothing to say? I feel you. People need to understand that being quiet isn’t completely the same thing as being shy and here is a photo with a quote that proves it. I resonate with this SO MUCH, oh my god.
Sometimes, I just have nothing to say because I like to listen to people and am a pretty observant person. That doesn’t mean that I’m shy. I’m just quiet. In addition, for me, I like to process everything that’s being said before I can form an opinion, which doesn’t always happen on the spot. The only bad thing about that is that it may take a few days for me to have something to say, but then it may be too late to say anything because people have moved on from the topic. I don’t know if anyone is in the same boat, but if you are, you are not alone and I completely understand! Honestly, I thought I was the only one who understood the difference with being shy vs. being quiet. But, no! I’m so happy to have met people who feel the same way that I do. Being quiet isn’t a bad thing. Neither is being shy. It just takes a little while for some people to get comfortable. If you ever encounter someone who is quiet, don’t immediately label them as the shy person. Maybe it’s hard for them to socialize or they just have absolutely nothing to say. And that’s okay! Take the time to get to know them. Maybe they’ll open up to you and you’ll learn that they’re not quiet or shy at all. Thank you for reading my blog! If you enjoyed this post, I’d be very grateful if you’d help it spread by sharing it on Facebook. I hope that you were able to get something out of this or just enjoyed reading it! Shameless plug: IG: @trxnscxndence SC: tran.nn FB: www.facebook.com/TranLegacy or Tran Nguyen
Written by Tran "Eridαto" Nguyen