When I was a kid, I was not cynical at all.
As a teen, I realized the world was full of people who would take advantage of me given the chance.
As an adult, I had to make a choice:
A. Be cynical by default so nobody could take advantage of my open nature.
B. Remain optimistic, accepting that some people would take advantage of my openness.
After some soul searching, I chose B.
I never regretted being open by default. I look at the world with optimistic eyes, and it’s been a better life.
@TedWard I hear you, but to me it’s not being brave.
I am just being me and not caring if people do not act the same.
Maybe the not caring is the brave part for you.
I learned a saying as a kid that turned out to be 100% true:
When you are 20, you worry what people think of you.
When you are 40, you don’t care what people think of you.
When you are 60, you realize they were never thinking of you anyway.
I wish you courage.
@NickRichards
Thankyou for your kind words.
Opening up has always been scary for me but I never cared what people think, always been one to forge my own path. However I have always found it hard to make connections because of this.
That's why when ever I try to open up make those connections I tend to get scared and resort to type.
@TedWard Hi Ted,
I am certainly not a mental health expert, so all I can do is offer generalized opinions of what works for me, but you are not me!
If you are not worried about what others think, but it’s more of an inward issue, the only thing I could think to suggest is to practice until it becomes easier. Just don’t get discouraged when it doesn’t work. Stumbling along a path just means picking yourself up and continue walking that path.
@NickRichards I have had some help from the lovely NHS (wish it could be more but they are so underfunded). They taught me so much about my triggers and how to spot issues and also how to improve things.
One of the things they encouraged is practice and it has helped. Unfortunately the pandemic came along and all social interactions stopped and I haven't really got back into it since.
NickRichards
Ted Ward