When thinking about how I act around different people, I realize that about half the time it is an act, mainly to make it seem like I am more talkative and extroverted than I really am. So it must be said that I do often engage in impression management.
This is mainly something that happens at work, because I am working with the public, and acting pleasant and informative is a good thing. Having a smile when people come in, and being cheerful and interacting with them gets them more interested, and willing to talk about history. Also when dealing with school groups learning to have your voice carry over other people talking is important. That helps make you appear to be the person to listen to, and the one with some authority there. But most of the time I am told that I need to speak up, talk louder, and talk more.
Being around people that I do not know well, means that I will be rather reserved, and quiet, until I have gotten to know them and their views on issues, so that we do not end up in an argument that would be pointless, and would just end up irritating a lot of different people. This is something that I work on often around my extended family, which means that a lot them think of me as the quiet shy one. Which I sometimes work to encourage, by sticking my nose in a book and ignoring people.
As one final thing, I try not to get much attention. Sometimes being invisible is more pleasant than talking to other people. It also means that people are much more willing to ignore you.
No comments:
Post a Comment