It might not come as a surprise, but literally every single person on this planet has a unique makeup. It doesn’t make one type of person better than the next or the one after that, but I do think that people who are naturally shy kind of get a bad rap.
It’s like we think they need to be fixed or something, to be outgoing and cool with social gatherings like the rest of us, but why would that be?
These people are shy and have made their peace with it, but they really wish others would stop these 17 behaviors.
17. Cat got your tongue.
While going to college I interned for the state’s largest business development corporation. In a meeting with c-suite executives the top dog was just making friendly conversation before we got started and asked me what classes I was taking.
To set the picture, I am just the peon note-taker and would never expect anyone to even notice that I was there, let alone put me on the spot with a long table of successful professionals staring at me.
I blacked out. Zero brain function. I mumbled a few inaudible grunts and umms before having no choice but to admit that I couldn’t remember. Oh my dog, I wanted to die. The looks of confusion and the awkward century that it took to switch topics amongst themselves still haunts me before bed.
16. Does anyone like this practice?
“Ok everyone, before we begin why don’t we go around the room and tell us a little about yourselves.”
15. Just let go, dude.
Went to a party. Guy I’ve never met walks up to me, shakes my hand, and says “hello, what’s your name? Where were you born? Where will you die? What’s in between?”
Not letting go of my hand the whole time. I completely locked up, had no idea what to say.
14. You’ll never forget that.
I went to this summer camp at a history museum around 4th grade. The second day they sprung on us that we would have to create a short play about a notable figure of our choice.
I’m already terrified and I make it worse by choosing to do mine on Cai Lun, the dude who invented paper. The “play” ended up being a 30 second monologue that was basically a condensed biography with me wearing these musty silk robes. After I slunk back to my seat, I realized that everyone else did like actual plays with dialogue and plots and stuff.
So embarrassing…
13. What a terrible moment.
I was in elementary and took a bus home each day. I missed my stop and I was so terribly shy and quiet the bus driver didn’t hear me. He went on to pick up high school students and didn’t notice I was still on the bus.
The high school students were so sweet and kind. They alerted the bus driver and he took me home. My mom was freaking out by the time I got home!
12. A stab in the back.
i dont talk much in class, and i interact with only a few people. Some of my classmates just thought i hate them, and cropped me out of their EOY class photos which they then posted on ig.
i dont really care about their posts, i just felt really hurt they cropped me out
11. How horrible they had to go.
Mandatory speech class when I was a freshman in college. I’d do the thing, then go back to my dorm and throw up.
Really freaked out my roommate (who I barely spoke to). 5 speeches that semester…it was a nightmare.
10. I am cringing so hard.
Sat at the back of the class in Spanish, when the teacher from the front asks a question. Being the little nerd I was in school my hand shot up, the teacher then looked over, pointed directly at me and said “Si, Seniorita”
I was a very feminine, underdeveloped and late through puberty 15 year old boy with longer than usual hair.
I stopped answering any teachers questions willingly from that point.
9. Why do people do this?
I am a bit shy when first meeting people so after getting to know me, I often hear “When I first met you, I thought you were such a bitch.”
Cool.
8. A gentleman for a reason.
Entering a new place for the first time, be it a shop or a bar or a resteraunt. I’m always play the gentleman and hold the door open for my partner so she can assess the area before I sheepishly shuffle in behind.
7. This stereotype is really done.
i get told by people now that everyone (including them) thought i was the weird kid that was going to shoot the school up. it hurts man i never did anything wrong but just not talk to people.
6. They used it all up.
Putting a year’s worth of confidence into a job interview, just to be the quiet one after you get the job.
The anxiety dude…
5. People just need to talk more!
In 4th grade I was in a new school and most of the girls avoided me bc they thought I was a bully (found out in 5th grade).
I was so sad bc I thought no one wanted to be my friend and that they hated me. I cried and begged my mom not to let me go to the Christmas party. When school reopens, they were like ‘why didn’t you come? We missed you’
4. Why are some girls like this?
In middle school I didn’t have any friends in my scheduled lunch period so I had to find some people I sorta knew to sit with. It went well for a while until this one girl just started being extremely rude.
She would just randomly start picking apart the way I look to someone else sitting at the table out of no where and I would just keep my head down and eat and pretend like I didn’t hear anything she would say. I’m a decent looking female but it really did a number on my self esteem.
3. Laughter is not always the best medicine.
I was in a group therapy session as a kid like maybe 14. I really had to go to the bathroom but we werent allowed to during the session. I was sorta balled up in the center of the room, not like emotional or anything just sitting comfortably hugging my knees cuz all the spots on the couch were taken.
Some girl had just finished telling a story of her abuse. She was crying and there was no other sound. Was sort of that awkward but respectful silence that fills the space when you wanna be supportive but saying anything at all would somehow seem inconsiderate.
It was into this yawning void that i farted. I knew it was coming. Id been staving off the gurgling in my stomach for some time now. Id broken into a sweat already with the sheer effort of will to delay the inevitable. It was no use.
I tried to discreetly shift my weight and maybe muffle the sound. I failed. This was neither silent nor deadly. It effortlessly shattered the silence like sledgehammer vs a christmas ornament.
Another moment of silence swallowed the sound but it was a void of disbelief. Then some kid yelled as loud as they could.. “jen farted!!!” And the entire room collapsed into helpless laughter while i promptly turned to stone and died on the spot.
2. Save it for therapy.
A friend hugged me at a party and then said WOW YOU SMELL REALLY GOOD.
And then I swear to God EVERYONE got up and went I WANT TO SMELL and I was surrounded by people sniffing me seconds after walking in to a party. I wanted to die. It wasn’t even perfume or anything it was my hair oil.
If I could afford therapy this would definitely come up.
1. Be a good friend.
Going to a crowded party with one friend who really wanted to drag you along but then disappears.
Take note, non-shy people, and stop making the whole world about you!
If you’re shy, what would you add to this list? Tell us about it in the comments!
