Remember that one really awkward, quiet girl from middle or high school? She never said much, she didn’t dress like you, hang out with a friends group, or say much in class. If she wasn’t very attractive, you probably thought she was weird. But if she put on light foundation & wore mascara, she was probably feared by most boys and admired from a distance by the girls. So what makes being ‘the quiet one’ so enjoyable? Her Mystery.
There’s a reason why TV series end with cliff hangers, why Playboy offers actresses so much for nude photos, why NASA spends a fortune exploring, and why parents shake their kids packages they got in the mail. It’s because of mystery. It’s our human nature to want to know what’s going to happen next, what’s hidden beneath the surface, and what lies beyond our reach.
The weird, quiet girl has a story like everyone else. She has hobbies, quirky habits, strange dreams, and a body beneath her clothes. But she rarely reveals any of it. She may be shy, have a social anxiety, a voice she’s self conscious of, or perhaps, she’d just rather listen. Regardless, when she does speak up, show some skin, or laugh out loud, she’s sure to catch your attention. Here are 13 reasons why it’s so much fun being labeled as the weird shy girl:
1) It seems like no one pays attention to us. It’s okay if we don’t feel like dressing up today, because more than likely, we’re not going to try talking to, or impressing anyone. Hello yoga pants & buns!
2) People think we’re really smart. If we don’t speak much, we don’t get the chance to say anything dumb, which puts us ahead of the rest of the class. When we do talk, we’ve already pondered the thought over, so we speak eloquently and purposefully. Which leads to number three.
3) We think, a lot. With so few people we’re worried about gossiping over, we have all sorts of time to spend inside our own mind. In a world filled with technology, and an Internet to gossip over so easily, deep thinking is a real asset.
4) We’re really good at picking out personalities, and we’re very in tune with knowing your likes and dislikes. While you’ve been gossiping away, we’ve been closely watching and listening to your every word, deciphering what’s important to you, and learning what you do and don’t like. We’ll shock you with all the little facts about yourself you thought no one else paid attention to.
5) We make amazing friends. Had a bad weekend? Pull up a chair and begin your rant. Quiet girls won’t interrupt you, and we’ll let you talk as long as you’d like. A good listener makes for a great friend. And those juicy, private details? Don’t worry, we won’t be spilling them to anyone else, after all, who would we even talk to?
6) Sometimes we’re introverts, and sometimes we’re not. (But hey, it’s not like we’ll ever come out and tell you about it without being asked first!) Sometimes, we’re a good blend of the two. We can feed off the energy of a crowd, but we don’t need it to be happy. And we can sit happily in a quiet room for hours on end, or eat lunch alone in public, without feeling stressed or watched.
7) We get to surprise you. While you’re cracking up with your dirty jokes with your friends, sometimes it’s fun to lean over and throw our raunchiest joke on the table. The look on your faces are absolutely priceless, and totally worth us breaking our silence.
8) We get to surprise you even more. You totally weren’t expecting us to post a cute bikini picture on Instagram after a day at the pool. You probably sized us up to be an ‘oversized band t-shirt & gym shorts’ kinda girl. Surprise!
9) People listen to us. They’re fascinated to hear our voice, listen to our opinions, and change roles from the talker to the listener.
10) We come off as really humble & modest (even if we secretly aren’t). When someone compliments us, we act very thankful and surprised. We typically downplay our accomplishments and successful attributes (which can add to our mysterious factor, “if she doesn’t think that’s all that great, what does she know/what can she do that’s even greater?”).
11) Increased sensitivity. Studies suggest that shy people typically react to positive and negative stimuli more strongly than our outgoing, bubbly counterparts. So instead of blindly taking dangerous risks, we think over our situation first before acting. If we decide the positive outcome will be worth it, we’re less afraid to go out on a limb after it. This also means that we take our negative criticism more harshly, but we see compliments really positively, and don’t soon forget them.
12) People have a tendency to believe us. For some reason, being shy is associated with being selfless. We make a ‘good guy’ impression, which makes us seem more credible.
13) Most of us were shy from our time as kids, we struggled to even say our name in class for roll call, let alone go strike up a conversation with someone. Once we overcome this, the world seems so much easier. It seems as though nothing else we’ll ever encounter will be that hard, and because of that mentality, it isn’t.
What are your experiences being the quiet girl? If you’re not the shy kind, what inferences do you usually make about them? Is there anything else that should be added to this list?
As always, thank you for reading!
