Not the most elegant thread title, but maybe you get my drift. What things about yourself – qualities, talents, anything – are you only aware of because other people pointed them out to you? ie, They weren’t self-evident, and if no one had ever said anything, you might have gone your whole life not realizing XYZ about yourself.
For me, it’s the fact that I’m tall. Sounds silly, because it’s ostensibly an objective fact that at 6’ 3 1/2", I am considerably taller than average in my society. Yet I don’t consciously “feel” tall, and if people weren’t constantly pointing out how tall I am, I’d probably, in all honesty, describe my height as just “average.”
I’ve had quite a few people at work comment on how funny I am and I can tell from the way they’re saying it, that they mean it in a nice way. I don’t think I’m funny at all. Maybe it’s just that I’m considerably older than they are and I use expressions they’re not familiar with.
I’ve had a couple people tell me I have a vaguely British accent. Which is strange, because I’m an American from New Hampshire. No idea how that would happen.
People tell me that I have a dry sense of humor and remind them of Oz from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I never watched the show so I hope it’s a good thing.
Apparently I speak English badly even though it’s my native language. In one of my linguistics classes we were shooting the breeze and talking about languages. I told everyone about how when I was a cashier, people would think I was from the south or even England(?) from the way I talked to them, even though I’ve lived in the Midwest my whole life. People in the class started to pipe up saying “English is your first language? You just speak so differently, I assumed that you had a different first language!”
Geez.
Maybe it was from the lack of talking, shyness, and then learning two other languages mixed in. Yeah, I’ll stick with that.
Apparently, I’m hilarious. I’m not just funny - I’m hysterical.
Not always, but in bouts. I used to think it was people laughing at me, which I’m equally fine with. If I can put a smile on someones face I’m doing something right. But, it’s not. I can be intermittently hilarious.
That I’m obsessive. Unfortunately, my mother had been telling me this since I was small, but I discounted her opinion as solely projection. Then alas, it turned out to be beyond even her wildest imagination (and insult) to be true. And I don’t just think it’s a product of my OCD, but a deeper character flaw that I have no idea how to honestly control.
Still, my mother is obsessive too. I’m just much worse.
I grew up with the belief that I am extraordinarily lazy.
One day my husband turned to me out of the blue and said, ‘‘You’re the hardest working person I know.’’
My husband is the hardest worker I’ve ever known, so from him this is high honors. I don’t really believe him, but I will at least grant that I’m not as lazy as I feel.
I’m insane. Actually, if I understand correctly, it’s more accurate to call it a persistent developmental disorder. I’d gotten the feeling I was a bit wierd when I was growing up, but it was other people who figured out that it went beyond just being odd. Anyway, with input from a couple of friends, my sisters, my mom, and a few psychologists, they put a name on it. It was interesting to find out. But I was already in my 40’s, so it didn’t really matter much.
Apparently I’m really, really nice.
Shut up, read the thread title again, and understand how odd it was for me to type that.
I think I’m a self-centered, shrill, judgemental pile of ca-ca - but from what I hear, I’m really, really nice and it’s easy to share personal problems with me.
In one of my linguistics classes we were shooting the breeze and talking about languages. I told everyone about how when I was a cashier, people would think I was from the south or even England(?) from the way I talked to them, even though I’ve lived in the Midwest my whole life. People in the class started to pipe up saying “English is your first language? You just speak so differently, I assumed that you had a different first language!”