reminder as tiktok is getting banned that DACA was declared illegal in Texas and ice is getting ready to make massive immigration roundups in Chicago, do not let them keep this silent and do not let our community be forgotten
btw if trump actually does get tiktok back when heโs in office, i better not see yโall cheering for him bc heโs the one the original signed the ban and now he wants younger people to like him
โIโm shy at first, but once we get to know each other I can be very outgoing.โ
When people describe themselves, I hear that sentiment quite often. But I don't think people understand the tragic implications of those words.
To understand the implications letโs first define what it means to be shy: Iโm defining shyness as being fearful of expressing yourself around others.
For the most part, it's okay to be reserved, but when you're around other people you shouldn't allow fear to prevent you from expressing yourself properly. Because of this fear you may have held back many laughs, smiles, dances, singalongs etc. Basically everything that makes life worth living.
In short, you have refrained from expressing yourself in those ways for fear of facing punishment or ridicule.
So where does this fear come from? I believe that shy people were once sensitive children who developed this fear as a result of past traumatic occurrences. I mention sensitivity because it seems to be a big differentiating factor.
Though shy people may not have a present reason to be timid, they once did. Shy people were once in an environment where, to some degree or another, it was dangerous to be fully themselves. This danger can come in many ways and from many people including parents, siblings, teachers or school bullies.
Perhaps, these shy people had their curiosity squashed, their propensity for being playful and loud tamed, their feelings exploited, or their unique quirks ridiculed. Whatever it was, I guarantee that they had an expression that was natural to them that others around them didnโt like and so, much like a nail that sticks out, they got the hammer.
Pretty soon they learned that not all of who they are is accepted, so they start to suppress their true selves in order to survive. But the problem never stops there; this self-censorship is then internalized. It stays with them as they grow, even when thereโs no possibility of retaliation. What was once a necessary adjustment in response to their environment has now turned into unresolved trauma.
Now you understand why I think this is tragic. Itโs almost even more tragic that there are people out there who think shyness is just part of their natural personality rather than a result of the trauma-inducing environment around them. Without this knowledge, they have little chance of ever reversing it.
Many of you remember being outgoing and carefree once. Y'all were born that way. It was not until you got tested, silenced, controlled, humiliated, scorned, or beaten that you became anxious and reserved. One of my goals in life is to help others reconnect with who they once were before that happened.