Silence and I

Interesting people have interesting things to say, right? If so, why don't I ever have interesting things to use to generate interesting conversations with people? The obvious answer would be that I am uninteresting, but I really don't believe that to be true. I mean, I like interesting things and can talk quite intelligently about a lot of things, but when I am around people that I don't know very well, I tend to sit silently and not actively generate conversation.

I am naturally timid in certain situations. Once I get to know people that timidity vanishes and conversation flows freely. The paradox lies in the fact that I only overcome my timidity and talk freely to people when I get to know them well, but I only get to know them well by talking to them. Clearly, remaining in my natural state won't change anything.

The easy answer is that I just need to be more confident. That always seems to be the easy answer - easy to give, at least; for those who keep receiving this advice, it's not the easiest thing to hear. Self-confidence isn't something that can be miraculously generated. It takes a lot of conscious decisions to change and a herculean effort to make it happen, and I am not sure that I am ready to make that effort. I know that I need to and that I'm tired of sitting silently when there are people nearby that I am interested in getting to know better. I know that I should be more active and assertive in getting out in the social spheres, but no matter how convinced I am of the appropriate course of action, I still find it difficult.

Of course, I could overcome these obstacles only to find out that I really am uninteresting after all, and then everything will be explained satisfactorily. Until I discover the truth of this matter, here's to the silent, yet interesting, men and women of the world.