Society seems to be pressuring everyone to be more sociable, loud and outgoing, and they make quiet people seem weird and antisocial. This can be really unfair to them. To be a quiet person is not a sin, it is just a preference and something that makes one feel more comfortable. These are some things that quiet people struggle almost on a daily basis.
1, When people ask you to give ideas.
一，当别人要你给点子。
During a group discussion, you are perfectly fine sitting there listening to everyone’s ideas, even better if you’re the one assigned to write down any information so you don’t have to speak. But the nightmare comes when some people asked you to give your own ideas. It’s probably not that you do not have any ideas, it’s more of the fact that you are better coming up with ideas when you’re alone or when you’re not with a huge group of people giving you pressure.
2, People saying you’re too innocent.
二，别人说你很单纯。
What is it that innocence has to do being quiet? Many people seem to have an impression on quiet people that they are pure and innocent and have not exposed themselves to things adults should know. Sure, there are some quiet people who are innocent as well, but not every one of them has a mind of an infant. They've been to school, study the same things together, and be around the same people. So why is it that people still think quiet people are just the purest people?
3, Group projects.
三，组合工作。
One of the worst things that can ever happen to a quiet person is group projects. All the hyperactive energy from being in a group is extremely taxing on a quiet person's energy, making them even more stressed out. The truth is that for quiet people, they are too independent. They are able to work well on something and provide excellent ideas, provided if the project has to be done individually. If they are forced to be with a group of people, their will to work on the project will decrease immediately, and they will become really unproductive.
4, Teachers telling your parents you’re too quiet.
四，老师告诉你的父母你太安静。
During the “teachers-parents” day, you might encounter this nightmare every year since elementary school. Your teacher spilling out everything to your parents about how you’re too quiet and you need to speak up more, and even contribute more to the class. This makes it really uncomfortable for you because the teachers make being quiet sound like a terrible thing. But what is the fault in that, really? Some people just have a different way of learning, and speaking out loud in class is definitely not one of it.
5, People assuming you’re proud.
五，别人以为你很高傲。
Another perception people have of quiet people is that they are full of themselves. Like when people sit all alone at a restaurant or anywhere, people might look at them, thinking how this person is proud enough to not want to be with anyone else. But honestly, what’s wrong with just wanting a little “me time” and give oneself time to think about things to themselves, or do things on their own?
6, When the teacher starts picking people to answer questions.
六，当老师要选人回答问题。
It seems like schools are the worst place for quiet people, due to all the talking and group work that you are expected to do. When the teacher starts the little “picking someone to answer” session, quiet people just wish they can turn invisible immediately. It’s not that they don’t know the answers to the questions, in fact, many quiet people are intelligent. It’s just that the thought of raising their voices in classes is just not natural for them.
7, People thinks you’re angry.
七，别人以为你生气。
When people are alone, another perception people have of them is that they are mad at someone or something. They distance themselves from others because they are boiling inside or whatever others think they are doing. Honestly, society should really just start to be okay that some people just like being quiet and alone, it’s just their way of regaining energy from all the socializing they have to do.
8, When you talk and people are surprised.
八，当你说话时别人觉得惊讶。
Quiet people don’t talk often, but they are not mute. It’s just that they don’t like doing all the talking and prefer doing more of the thinking. They have a strong inner voice and love to use it for any thinking that needs to be done. So when they had gathered their thoughts well and start to convey it to others, people start to get really surprised that they can talk. In fact, many quiet people can speak really well about things that matter to them. They just don’t have the energy for meaningless talks and gossips.
9, When people ask you to repeat what you just said.
九，别人要你重复你说的东西。
Quiet people can have a strong voice when it comes to things that they are passionate or interested in. However, they don’t usually speak like that. Most of the time they speak with a low voice. It can be frustrating when they are speaking and others ask them to repeat because they spoke too softly or maybe the room is too loud for their voice to be heard. There is definitely nothing wrong in speaking softly, so next time it’s better for others to just listen intently instead of making them repeat what they have to say.
10, Being forgotten in a group.
十，在组里被遗忘。
Quiet people don’t contribute much to a conversation, perhaps that's why they are forgotten. It seems that talking is the only way to gain people’s attention, explains why people who usually speak loudly in a class or office is the most well-known person. It can be offensive to quiet people that they are not being remembered because to them it seems that being quiet seems like a negative trait and that they should raise their voice more. How difficult is it to just remember everyone regardless of how loud or soft they speak?
11, The courage to answer a phone call.
十一，需要勇气来接电话。
Although many quiet people are great in presentations, talking on a smaller scale might be something scary for them. They despise small, meaningless and spontaneous talks, which is why whenever their phone rings and it wasn’t from their family or close friends, they get really nervous as to what might happen and what do they have to say. Sometimes just to answer the phone call takes them a lot of courage to do so.
12, People asking why you’re so quiet.
十二，别人问你为什么那么安静。
Perhaps the worst thing anyone to do to a quiet person is to ask them “why are you so quiet?” This is the same as asking people who are loud “why are you so loud?” it’s just a social preference to them. If they want to be quiet, just let them be. That means they are more comfortable being in silence and having words flow in their head instead of blurting out useless sentences to other people. They just use their brain a little differently and more efficiently.
These are some of the struggles that quiet people have to face almost every day. It is unfair but everyone should know that being quiet is completely a matter of preference. It’s just how people feel about socializing. There is nothing wrong with being too loud or too quiet. So the next time you judge anyone who is sitting silently, let them be.
