Bashful Might Not Look Like You Think it Looks

If you're Bashful, you might think you appear modest and unassuming, like Clark Kent, who never reveals he is really Superman.

How does your Bashful demeanor actually appear to other people?

If you are Superman or Wonder Woman --- and no pair of glasses is going to actually disguise that, and in some cases actually embellishes your image --- then you probably seem stuck up or at least stand-offish.

Sure, in Disney's original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Bashful seems adorable, because the skilled cartoonist imbued him with mannerisms of sweet, shy children encountering people outside of the comforts of a loving home for the first time.

You've been living many years longer than a toddler, so you have no excuse for being Bashful.  I don't think any adult can truly pull it off.

Perhaps you prefer to avoid talking about yourself, whether because you can't think of anything to say or because you don't want to brag.

Good!

It is much better to show interest in others than to talk about yourself.  

Starting with a polite compliment or general observation or asking a non-probing question will get the ball rolling.

Most times, you will find you have a few degrees of separation on at least one or two issues that come up.

The trick then is to not get so carried away with your own tangent on the subject that you begin a contest of one-upmanship.

Let your new friends feel proud of their accomplishments.  Interject your own similar experiences modestly as a means of asking for them to embellish.

Wouldn't you rather be someone who loves other people than a stuck-up prig?

Of course, the other interpretation of being Bashful might be that you really are a drab, boring person, not worth knowing.

We all know that's not true, because we're all interesting people in our own ways.

When you go on a vacation, it is the perfect chance to polish up your social skills, without fear of judgement.

Many people return from a cruise with what seems like a personality transplant.

Of course, having an interesting neutral topic of conversation --- your recent experience on board or in ports --- is always nice to fall back on.

You might find yourself becoming the subject of polite queries from friends and strangers.

"Where'd you get that nice tan?"

If you just got back from the Mediterranean or Caribbean, you have a truly interesting answer, which you can parlay into a question of your own.

"Have you ever been on a cruise?"

This is your life.  Don't hide from it.

Wes