<p>I used to be EXTREMELY shy – I would get super nervous in public or around people, and as a result, I had a very tough time meeting new people. I’ve gotten rid of my shyness in the last 2 years and now I begin to wonder, does being shy have any benefits at all? What do you guys think?</p>
<p>yes. shy people have different experiences which allows them to think differently. you see things from a different perspective</p>
<p>No, there’s not, really.</p>
<p>Being able to communicate effectively with other individuals is a crucial skill for almost anything you do in life - and being shy means you lack that skill.</p>
<p>That would be like saying “Are there any benefits of not being good at golf?” or “Are there any benefits of being bad at fishing?”, or really asking if there any benefits to lacking any other skills.</p>
<p>sure, you get a different perspective and you can observe things and learn a lot more from being a sort of wallflower-type person–but life isn’t just for observing and thinking.</p>
<p>Rob, have you ever been shy? it’s not quite so simple. I don’t know how to explain it… maybe it isn’t the shyness itself, but the results of that shyness which can give a person certain advantages (although most people would say the disadvantages outweigh the advantages, but that’s a whole other argument). I don’t know. but it somehow can make a person more independent and strong-willed.</p>
<p>debategeek, yeah whether it is <em>better</em> to be shy is another discussion altogether. but I wouldn’t say that there are absolutely no advantages.</p>
<p>stressedouttt, I disagree that being shy makes one more independent. When I was super shy years ago, I always felt uncomfortable around people I didn’t know. I only felt at ease when I was with someone I was friends with. Being shy actually made me more needy – in other words, dependent on other people. Now that I’m comfortable in my own skin and far less shy than before, I feel more independent because I can feel at ease without needing anyone to be there for me.</p>
<p>I guess different people have different experiences. I suppose I’m much more confident know that I’m less shy, but, at the same time, I don’t think that I could’ve been this confident if I’ve <em>never</em> been shy. I’ve learned to shrug off what people think of me. in fact, even when I was shy I think that in a way I cared less about what others think than some people who had never been shy in their lives.
I mean, you should care what others think to an extent, but most people care too much. especially in hs.</p>
<p>i think you had social anxiety. there are not any benefits to it worth mentioning as far as i know. maybe in the ancestral environment it would have kept you alive longer (i’m not sure about this) but now it sure wont.</p>
<p>@stressedout: I didn’t say there was anything WRONG with being shy, I was just saying that there’s nothing particularly GOOD about being shy.</p>
<p>Just like there’s nothing wrong with not knowing how to play golf, but there’s just nothing particularly beneficial about it either.</p>
<p>@stressedouttt: Thing is, being shy is linked with caring about what others think. Shy people are nervous and afraid of being around people because they’re afraid of being judged/looking stupid. You said that even when you were shy, you didn’t care about what people think. I don’t think that’s possible though, because the very reason you were shy was because deep down, you were scared of being judged. At least that’s how I view shyness in my eyes; it could be different for you. In my case, I’m far more confident now because I don’t really care about what people think.</p>
<p>Personally, if I could go back in time and relive my life as an outgoing person, I would do it in a heartbeat. There are just too many opportunities and experiences that I missed because of my shyness. I really can’t think of anything beneficial I gained from being shy.</p>
<p>I think society overall likes people who are more outgoing. Shyness is in everyone. There will always be someone/something we will feel shy towards. But I think life is easier when you can effectively communicate with others without worry. And I think shyness is something that can be overcome with a bit of effort :)</p>
<p>No. I used to be extremely shy but I trained myself to get over it because my shyness never helped me in any way.</p>
<p>I think being shy definitely has some advantages, just like how being outgoing has certain advantages. I think shy people have more time to sit back and analyse things rather than jumping into a conversation without any thought. I think shy people also tend to be more pensive. In the end though, all the analysing and pondering in the world won’t do you any good if you don’t act on it. You can definitely be shy to a fault. I’m sort of a hybrid, shy/withdrawn at times, while other times I tend to dominate a conversation(debate).</p>
<p>Being shy doesn’t have any advantages.</p>
<p>The advantages a lot of people here seem to be mentioning are advantages of being <em>introverted</em>, or INTJ’s as most people on here seem to be.</p>
<p>Being shy has its advantages. I tend not to offend people very often.</p>
<p>Everybody here is getting introversion and shyness confused. All of these “benefits” that you guys are associating shyness are not benefits that only shy people can enjoy. Shyness is the inability to interact properly with other people, while introversion is the willful avoidance of interacting with other people. </p>
<p>There are some advantages to being introverted, however, there are absolutely no advantages to being shy. Being contemplative or having time to think by yourself is not a trait that only shy people have. You can be contemplative and have time by yourself without having to be shy - that is called being introverted.</p>
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<p>Doesn’t mean they aren’t benefits that shy people enjoy.</p>
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<p>because it’s not something that’s generally true of outgoing people</p>
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<p>People don’t actually say that y’know</p>