Assuming shy people are incompetent

[chimera]

gah...this really annoys me...when people perceive shy people as weak and unable to defend ourselves.

And some people love to take advantage of the shy, and treat us like crap, because they know that we're not very vocal and hesitant to engage in rhetorical battle. It really disappoints me that I'm not brave enough to openly complain and be demanding and all that.

[Reflection]

Guest-chimera said:

gah...this really annoys me...when people perceive shy people as weak and unable to defend ourselves.

It annoys me, too, but lots of the time it's true. I *am* sometimes too weak to defend myself.

Guest-chimera said:

It really disappoints me that I'm not brave enough to openly complain and be demanding and all that.

I know exactly what you mean. But having a temper helps. People know not to mess with me too much because even though I'm shy, I can only take so much. Eventually, I blow up and scare the hell out of anyone who is a jerk to me for too long. ;D

[Duke]

lol, I admit, I have a bit of a temper too. But rarely will I burst out verbally. I usually just brood and fume inside my mind.

[mrsindependent]

Guest-Duke said:

But rarely will I burst out verbally. I usually just brood and fume inside my mind.

This is me at work, but at home I am loud/obnoxoius and if I get pissed off, I have no problem showing it.

[Rosiemoore]

Shyness is not weakness - the many people who judge us for it are far more naive as they've prob never been thru anything so complex and tough!!!!!

[canisay182]

i know how you feel. this one guy in praticular loves to see how far he can push me. he usually does it at lunch at school too, which makes it really embarassing. when i get really mad i yell, and if im talking to someone im not comfortable yelling at i start crying or get really close to it. usally when he does it i either end up yelling at him so loudly the whole cafeteria full of people can hear me and i look like a psycho, or i nearly bite through my cheek trying not to cry, which is really painful. some idiots just like to torture us apperently, this guys been doing this to me for two years. my whole school probably thinks im a little disturbed.

[Reflection]

Shyness is not weakness

I hate to admit it, but I really do think shyness is weakness. It's shrinking away from situations because we're scared of them. Surely that's not courage or strength.

[paralyzed]

I hate to say it also but I have to agree with Reflection on this one.

[Lone star]

The premise that "shy people must be weak" is infact a conclusion, and therefore a logical error.

How one "perceives" something is their own problem. I know I am not weak. But someone who is introvert may be perceived as weak, TO an extrovert.

I myself have faced my so called "fears", to no evail, they make me just as "fearful" if I have to do it again. Exposure is the happy candy for the extrovert ignoramus.

[hippo]

I can relate to this. My cousin asked me to show the photos of our recent trip to her opinionated daughter (I think my cousin was trying to break the ice.) The daughter was obviously unimpressed with my quiet voice and hesitant manner, 'cos I got halfway thru the photos (there weren't very many) and she lost interest and started talking about herself. I was SO angry.

But what can u say? Don't want to upset my cousin 'cos she's been v good to me.

[tortuga]

Reflection said:

I hate to admit it, but I really do think shyness is weakness. It's shrinking away from situations because we're scared of them. Surely that's not courage or strength.