What's wrong with being a quiet person?

Question

Why is it that if you're outgoing and talkative, people tend to complement you on your wonderful personality, but if you're quiet and reserved, people tell you you're too quiet and ask you to speak out more? How come quiet people don't get the same general level of acceptance as their talkative counterparts? For example, some people don't talk in class because they *prefer* not to. It doesn't mean they are bad students. They would rather observe and quietly reflect, and express their opinions in other ways, such as through the written assignments. But the teacher will mark them down as not participating anyway because they "didn't talk enough." People say, "are you a quiet person" or "ohh, you're a quiet person" as though it's some horrible disease.

Also, is this just an American thing or does it occur in other parts of the world as well?

Answer 1

There's noting wrong to be quitet, its your right to be yourself. These are the feeling that happens when you are quitet, but i'am sure you are not beening quitet all the time, when u think of something you tend to be quitet.

Answer 2

There is nothing wrong with being quiet. Even though I am extrovert, there are times, when I prefer to be quiet - alone with my thoughts.

My teacher/guru is introvert. I used to give my opinion freely and she made me realize that not all of us are the same. Once i asked her to feel free to bring to my attention anything that she notices about me. ( I also used to think i am perfect! lol .) She said OK. The following day she called me and talked my ears off! My quiet, wonderful teacher! The time on my cell phone showed 45 - 50 minutes each time she had anything to say. It was all for my benefit though.

So, to answer your question, I don't think quiet people are quiet all the time. My guess is that you talk plenty when want to. Do not change who you are for anybody! YOU need  to feel comfortable in your own skin. A lot of (most) loud people have nothing of value to say anyway, if you noticed.....

Answer 3

i guess it just depends who youre around really, im a quiet person and yeah sometimes people will be like "oh, youre a quiet person" when i first meet them, but after knowing me a little while they usually start to like/accept me. its just if they want my opinion on something they usually have to ask me directly instead of just asking the group of people we're with in general. but they realize that soon enough. either way the teacher thing is messed up...that sucks >.<

Answer 4

there are introverts and extroverts and unfortunately for the former the latter are loudmouthed imbeciles yet get all the rewards for being so loud

Answer 5

people fear because they don't know what you are thinking

Answer 6

I don't know. I'm a quiet person and could careless what people think about my talking frequency.

Answer 7

I totally agree with you. I'm an extremely shy and quiet person and there's only been one person who has really complimented me on my shyness. Everyone else tells me I need to open up or talk more and I'm just like, that's not who I am. I will talk when I want to. Although, shy and quiet people tend to hold things in and it's good to talk things out. But there's nothing necessarily wrong with being shy and quiet. :)

Answer 8

There are also loud people, you know. My brother suffers all the time because he loves to talk, and everyone tells him to SHUT UP. It's not just american, it's global. Stereotypes are used all around the world, and thats what this is.

Answer 9

Well, don't mind them. God made us all different. People in my school actually like quiet people. They look at it as a good thing. I don't know why because people shouldn't be judged on that.

Just participate once in a while just so the teacher won't mark you down.

Answer 10

Yeah, im a quiet person, im 15 in britain and nobody actually complains about it but well some people do, i mean theres a few people in my classes that seem to think being quiet is a bad thing, but i don't, i just need to talk about the right thing.

Answer 11

Talkative people don't always get compliments. It's a two way street for them as they're judged on what they say. This means if they say great / witty things they do get compliments however if they just shoot off at the mouth they are considered buffoons and loud mouths. If people are asking you to "talk up" it's probably because they want to know more about who you are and what you're like.

Striking a balance of knowing when to speak and knowing when to listen is always best.

Answer 12

You are quite right, amigo or amiga as the case may be, to say that the talkative idiot that babbles social pleasantries and makes small talk [the inane drivel of retards] the bulk of his vocabulary and conversation a very VERY popular fellow.

They say NOTHING, hence unlike you or I, never make ENEMIES of anybody. Their inane insipid vacuous nonsense does not offend anybody because it is nothing but the parroting of BS overheard.  I could create a computer program that could sound like a real person.

Here's a bit.

ME:  Hello, George. How's it going?

COMPUTER: OH, just fine. Never been better.

ME: Oh, that's swell. You look great today.

COMPUTER: Thanks, hon, I sure hope it doesn't rain.

ME: Don't worry the weathman predicted fair weather today.

COMPUTER: Thank God, I don't want to get my Versace boots all covered in mud.

ME: Oh, you go girlfriend.

COMPUTER: Tata!

Now what in the above conversation was actually said, what INFORMATION is contained in all that verbiage?

ZERO. Nothing of significance was said at all.

A monkey could type random keys on a computer which I could program to spit out "small talk expressions" and get the typical conversation of the American teenager.

Ever go to a bar. Look at the man running his mouth and talking tough. He's a scarced, stupid rabbit pretending to be a man.  Now look at the guy sitting alone in the back, not bothering anybody just sipping his beer. A glance or nod is all you'll get from him, or maybe an icy stare, but no words.

This guy is a killer.

Go to a jail. The silent guy that bothers NOBODY is likely to be the murderer. The "tough" guy that's always running his mouth and trash talking like the Rock on Pro-Wrestling is probably a petty thief or junky in for a narcotics violation.

The strong silent type are THINKERS.

That's why they are usually smarter and DEADLIER than the small talk/trash talk mavens.

I, myself, say MUCH in writing, but next to nothing in conversation as I refuse to say anything that means nothing.

What I say, I mean and I mean what I say.

Oops. I'm ripping off Alice in Wonderland again.

You'd like the movie "The 13th Warrior" with Antonio Banderas, if this Latin hottie isn't enough to tempt you, the Viking fight scenes would do it for me.....

In the film, Antonio playing an Arab emissary learns to speak the Old Norse dialect of the Vikings just by LISTENING.

Here's a rule of thumb. A generality for you.

Mouth open=Learn NOTHING.

Mouth shut, ears open=Learn SOMETHING.

Exception: Creativity. When you write or say something or put a new twist on an old idea you learn as much as you teach.