We thought this was important to share. Just because the online world and “viral” social media idiocy get the most attention – there are still millions of people who don’t want to get involved. Yes – they can live without it, but it is hard for some to be on the outside.
What It Means to Be a Private Person in an Overconnected World
In today’s world, privacy seems to be a thing of the past. We stay connected with each other 24/7 and showcase our whole lives on social media. What does it mean to be a private person in a world of constant connection?
Let’s give a definition of a private person first of all. It is someone who prefers to stay low-key and doesn’t open up to other people easily. Typically, it’s an introvert who doesn’t have many social connections and won’t talk about themselves much. So you won’t see them chitchatting with neighbors or sharing every detail of their life on social media.
What Are the Characteristics of a Private Person?
If you are a private and reserved person, you will relate to these traits and behaviors:
1. You don’t like the attention
The last thing a private personality seeks is being in the spotlight. This is a rare trait in our society with most people begging for attention and approval. For someone who is reserved though, it’s a natural consequence of their personality.
2. You think before you speak
A private person will weigh their words very carefully. If you are one, then you will think a lot before telling other people something about you. With so many fake and jealous personalities around, you want to be sure that you can trust the individual you are talking to.
3. People’s secrets are safe with you
Being a private person is not only about keeping your own secrets safe but also about being loyal to people who confide in you. You will never betray someone’s trust or take part in gossips. This is because you respect other people’s privacy the same way you expect them to respect yours.
4. You have strong personal boundaries
It makes sense why this type of personality hates to see other people snooping into their life. When this happens, you will protect your personal boundaries and won’t tolerate nosy and intrusive behaviors. Needless to say that you will never pry into other people’s business either.
5. You stay off social media
As a private person, you may still use social media, but you will never fall into the trap of oversharing, unlike many people today. You see no point in showcasing your whole life online, so you will certainly not be the one to post hundreds of selfies and personal status updates.
Are Private People Hiding Something?
It’s not uncommon to see how private personalities are misunderstood and confused for being arrogant or even malicious. If you refuse to tell the story of your life to a stranger or make friends with your neighbors, people may start to think that you have some kind of dark secret to hide.
However, the truth is that being private and secretive doesn’t necessarily stem from being an evil person. Yes, it may have to do with trust issues and being overly aloof. But there are some good reasons why some people choose to be private and low-key.
You may prefer to keep your business to yourself and enjoy your quiet little world. Your life is your peaceful sanctuary and you don’t want irrelevant people in it. There is nothing wrong with it.
So yes, in a sense, a private person is always hiding something. They are hiding their personality. And they do it because they value their inner peace most of all and know that there are only a few people who are worth opening up to.
The Truth about Being a Private Person in Today’s World
Let’s take a moment to talk about social media. Do you have many Facebook friends? Does your profile contain numerous selfies and photos? Do you share any details of your personal life online?
Most people will give a positive answer to these three questions. If you did too, let me ask you one more question. How many of your Facebook friends do you think are genuinely interested to know all this information about you?
The sad truth is that people lack a deep interest in each other. Whether they realize it or not, their interest in someone else’s life tends to be superficial and revolves around their own ego.
Some are simply seeking food for gossip. Others have a competitive nature and are addicted to comparing themselves to others (hence the need to showcase a ‘perfect’ life online). Then, there are also those who just fill their spare time with unconscious scrolling of Facebook feed.
If you are being honest with yourself, you will know that the only people who truly care about you are your closest friends and family. So all those Facebook likes don’t actually mean anything.
A private person has a deep understanding of all this. That’s why they will not upload photos from their last trip or let their Facebook friends know what they had for dinner.
Private people don’t seek everyone’s approval and are pretty happy without getting likes on their new selfies. Now, this is real power in today’s society of attention seekers.
A Private Life Is a Happy Life
Thanks to modern technology, we are more connected than ever, and yet, the rates of mental disorder prevalence have never been higher.
The truth is that social connection doesn’t always equal emotional connection. You can have thousands of friends on social media and feel painfully lonely. So is it really worth sharing the moments of your private life with the world? Does getting the ephemeral approval of the online community really bring you happiness and fulfillment?
Happiness is an inside job, as the famous saying goes, and a private person knows it better than anyone. No amount of attention and validation from others can make you feel truly happy. So it’s always wise to be mindful about who you are opening up to and how much of yourself you share with other people.
