Different people have different traits that define them. Some people define themselves as optimists, others as pessimists. Some define themselves as adventurous and some as homebody. I, like a lot of people, define myself as shy. Shyness can be defined as a feeling of fear of embarrassment, of the unknowns or unfamiliar, or the dread of making decisions. To put it in other terms, shyness is a shrinking back from life that weakens the bonds of your connection with others. I wasn’t born shy- no one is born shy- something happened. Growing up (and still to this day) I had a speech impediment. I never really thought of my speech as a handicap in my life; sure I had to repeat myself a whole bunch but it was never a big deal. When I was in third grade I was called on to answer a question but my teacher could not understand me. She asked me to repeat myself, she still couldn’t understand me. She asked me to repeat what I said again and she still couldn’t understand me. I could not for the life of me articulate myself. Kids started to laugh at me and I learned that if I didn’t say anything no one would know about my impediment and no one would make fun of me. Dorothy Nolte had it …show more content…
Because I don’t talk, I have learned to listen very well and thus very aware of other people’s feelings. But being shy also has its downsides. If a shy person does not have an easy smile or a ready laugh, he may be viewed as overly serious, even humorless. Further, the element of willpower (or the lack of it) enters into the picture. The shy person must sometimes force himself to do such things as go to a party or to strike up a conversation with a classmate. These, for the shy person, can require a tremendous amount of effort. Sometimes my shyness is a fear that cripples the image of who I really am. I know it’s ridiculous to be afraid of what people think of me. I know people are more likely to like me if I am myself, but I still feel prone to acting a certain