Do you consider yourself "shy" ?

[veggiebasket]

I feel the same way. It always seems that once I get to be known as the "shy" guy, for whatever reason I feel like I have to live up to that. It doesn't help that that if I do happen to do anything "out of character" such as have an actual conversation that people always make a big deal out of it like I suddenly grew vocal cords. It's almost as if I keep quiet just because I know talking will get me way too much attention from people who are accustomed to me being quiet.

This is pretty much my problem as well. For example, I made a joke at work the other day, people laughed, and then when they realized that I had actually spoke, it all of a sudden became this huge deal. They were like, "I didn't expect that, especially from you!" and other such nonsense statements. Then it just became this huge pile of awkwardness for the rest of the day.

It just takes me a long time to warm up to people and figure them out. Then by the time this eventually happens, I'm already labelled as "shy" and they just write me off and don't really know how to act around me. Blah...

 

[Richey]

if i find a situation comfortable enough i can be chatty but this is very rare.
i just feel to uninteresting around other people. i also don't have the knack of joking around and being silly like alot of people can do. so really i end up being a bit of a downer to other peoples fun because i'm fairly quiet and placid, not my intentions but this is what happens. i find it difficult to be relaxed around other people, especially big egos, authority figures or people who are expressive and constantly witty and i keep second guessing how i should respond. i mean i think i can be pleasant and nice but i'm terrible at using sarcasm and forcing myself to be funny in situations at work where i'd rather be somewhere else. when im at work i dont really want to be there, i only go because it pays, to me thats me being honest and not faking it, maybe i should fake it more...

i'm usually shy around family but that is more because of personality clashes and the relationships being that of parents play the headmaster old fashioned authority (overly pedantic) role, you simply cannot form a friendship or comfortable relationship with this sort of family relationship...because people feel they are above you and when that happens its simply an awkward situation.

 

[powerfulthoughts]

nah i'm not shy. I have a severe problem with fear and anxiety.

 

[Iseesky]

I'm sure many people would consider me shy and reserved. But my problem is when that's all they see me as or all they know me for. Then I start to feel like I have to live up to being just shy when I'm around people that see me as that. That I can't be anything other than that around certain people. I know myself to be much more than that. So in that sense, I don't think being characterized as shy does me too much justice and it's certainly not how I feel about myself.
QUOTE]


This is exactly how I feel! Ugh, I hate how people have expectations of us! We're weird for being shy, but once we're known as shy we're weird for being anything but shy!