How much do you reveal about your self? Obviously, the way you relate to people is totally dependent on the situation and circumstance. You deal with people at work. Then of course there is immediate family, extended family, friends, acquaintences. And finally random strangers you come across.
How much of yourself do you reveal to each of them? One important category of people are your colleagues. Team mates, direct reports, managers, and senior executives. There are meetings and forums of all sorts and types. Varies settings. Numerous opportunities to speak up and speak out. Question is - how much do you reveal about yourself in these settings?
I got some feedback at work that I dont do this. And that sometimes it is necessary. I try to keep things at work about work. I am fairly gaurded about what I say about my personal life. When I listened to the feedback, I understood the point of it, though. After a while it becomes important to relate to people on a personal level. Even at work. Even in a professional setting. The key is to do it safely and maturely. That's when the connection with people grows stronger. So, I got the feedback and am taking it to see if I can change anything.
However, that got me thinking to how I operate in general. Even outside work, I am fairly guarded about what I reveal about myself. I began to question that. Why do I do that? I see people around me who have absoultely no qualms about talking about any aspects about their lives to a wide and diverse audience. Just log into Facebook and there is more than ample evidence of this. Truth is, I'm a little repelled by that. How can you talk about intimate things about your life to random people? People upload information and photos like nobody's business. About their lives, their vacations, their kids!!
I dont understand it. However, that is entirely their business. They seem to be adults who should know how it works. The point for me though, is that the disinclination I have to reveal things also permeates others facets of my life, I think. In general, some people have told me on and off that I just keep my cards so close to my chest. It is true. I dont share what I dont feel like sharing. What I feel is not really anybody's business but my own. Even with family, even with friends, I am reluctant to let everything be known. Why, though. Am I afraid of getting too close? What's wrong with that? Or is it just the cynical me who has tried to do this and then realized that the way the world works is that somehow you end up paying some sort of price for that...and that is has happened enough number of times for you to decide to clam up once and for all....
Anyway, seems like I am rambling on. I have noted this point seriously enough though. I need to work on what and how much I can change about this. In a way that still makes me feel safe. Its important to not be too closed up. Its important to let people (as much as it makes sense) know things about you from time to time. I get that.
How much of yourself do you reveal to each of them? One important category of people are your colleagues. Team mates, direct reports, managers, and senior executives. There are meetings and forums of all sorts and types. Varies settings. Numerous opportunities to speak up and speak out. Question is - how much do you reveal about yourself in these settings?
I got some feedback at work that I dont do this. And that sometimes it is necessary. I try to keep things at work about work. I am fairly gaurded about what I say about my personal life. When I listened to the feedback, I understood the point of it, though. After a while it becomes important to relate to people on a personal level. Even at work. Even in a professional setting. The key is to do it safely and maturely. That's when the connection with people grows stronger. So, I got the feedback and am taking it to see if I can change anything.
However, that got me thinking to how I operate in general. Even outside work, I am fairly guarded about what I reveal about myself. I began to question that. Why do I do that? I see people around me who have absoultely no qualms about talking about any aspects about their lives to a wide and diverse audience. Just log into Facebook and there is more than ample evidence of this. Truth is, I'm a little repelled by that. How can you talk about intimate things about your life to random people? People upload information and photos like nobody's business. About their lives, their vacations, their kids!!
I dont understand it. However, that is entirely their business. They seem to be adults who should know how it works. The point for me though, is that the disinclination I have to reveal things also permeates others facets of my life, I think. In general, some people have told me on and off that I just keep my cards so close to my chest. It is true. I dont share what I dont feel like sharing. What I feel is not really anybody's business but my own. Even with family, even with friends, I am reluctant to let everything be known. Why, though. Am I afraid of getting too close? What's wrong with that? Or is it just the cynical me who has tried to do this and then realized that the way the world works is that somehow you end up paying some sort of price for that...and that is has happened enough number of times for you to decide to clam up once and for all....
Anyway, seems like I am rambling on. I have noted this point seriously enough though. I need to work on what and how much I can change about this. In a way that still makes me feel safe. Its important to not be too closed up. Its important to let people (as much as it makes sense) know things about you from time to time. I get that.
1 comment:
Sharing needs a lot of courage. Not worrying about how things turn out after sharing even more so. Mostly we have vulnerabilities associated with a few things, expectations of sharing associated with others and hence we possibly stay guarded. At the same time, sometimes we possibly think the information is really very trivial and not worthy of sharing! But yeah, there is a secret magic in sharing. It somehow eases a lot off your chest!
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