Why Do People Hide From The World?
For some people, life is a piece of cake. They get what they want at a moment’s notice, and they don’t have to worry about the things you have on your mind on a daily basis.
Life treats them kindly, and struggling is not something they’re familiar with.
For those people, the whole world is full of endless possibilities as they rarely have to step out of their comfort zone. Everything comes to them.
But for the other half of people, things aren’t as peachy.
Some choose to shield their true selves from the world in order to protect their self-esteem because past experiences have taught them to do so.
For those people (introverts and empaths especially), explaining how you feel when life makes you want to hide your authentic self is not an option.
Hiding from the world is your coping mechanism.
A journey to self-acceptance is a difficult one, full of challenges and human experiences that those hiding from the world desperately try to avoid.
But these people are the salt of the earth.
These people are the kind of humans that are capable of great things if they could find a way to be okay with becoming in touch with the world again.
If you are one of those people who have chosen to hide from the world because it just feels easier to go through life that way, this is for you.
Getting out of your head and seeing the world through your best friend‘s eyes would show you so much light, love, and possibility.
Finding a way to move past your treacherous high school experiences would make you see the world a little more clearly.
Choosing to live life as if every day is your last day would help you improve your emotional health and show you that one bad personal experience doesn’t mean the whole world is out to get you!
Choosing to make eye contact with people on the street instead of perpetually tilting your head down would make you see that there are good people out there.
One genuine smile from a stranger on the street has the ability to improve your day, even for just a short minute. It still counts!
Shielding yourself from the world is only going to prolong your unfortunate personal experience in this world.
Stop hiding who you are; pick up the phone and call your best friend. Invite them for an adventure and help them help you.
It all starts with one small step that has the power to gradually shift your entire world and get you out of your rut.
If you are guilty of doing these 5 things, you are without a doubt hiding from the world.
Let this be your wake-up call and help yourself be seen again!
1. You keep your opinions to yourself (fearing rejection)
You’ve learned not to share your truth anymore. There was once a time when you were open and honest with everyone who came your way.
You used to find it so easy and comforting being able to share your true self with people.
But then life got in the way. One bad thing after another slowly deteriorated your way of life.
Things that used to seem doable have now become a burden. People you used to love socializing with have now become distant.
You have even been labeled as a person with personality disorders due to your sudden need to hide.
And all of those factors have slowly but surely made you who you are now—a person who’s afraid to speak your mind.
You no longer feel free to open up to anyone, as being quiet in your little bubble is so much simpler.
From an outgoing, carefree person you’ve become but a shell of the person you used to be.
2. You avoid eye contact at all cost
Looking people straight in the eye is now a daunting experience. You fear what might happen.
You don’t know how they’ll respond to you anymore.
Will they give you a smile or are they going to smirk at you for being in their way?
Are you going to encounter people having a bad day, therefore taking it out on you for simply existing near them?
It’s too much for you. You simply can’t fathom being ridiculed, yelled at or looked at funny.
It may be hard for people to understand this, but life hasn’t been easy for you, and this is your coping mechanism.
You’re not doing anyone any harm. You’re not trying to hurt anyone. You simply want to stay out of everyone’s way and keep to yourself.
That way, your quiet, solitary bubble is intact, and you don’t have to come into contact with anyone.
This is now your sad reality, and you’re just trying to make the best of it.
3. You never initiate a conversation
Even if you used to be a chatterbox who enjoyed starting important discussions and who would never shy away from starting a conversation that nobody else had the courage to, now you’re a far cry from that person.
You don’t mind being present, but the thought of actually starting a conversation and expressing yourself so publicly and risking embarrassing yourself is the last thing on your mind.
You are very good at listening and perhaps offering advice when asked, but other than that, you keep your mouth shut.
Life has knocked you down and spat you out, so you don’t really expect people to understand your unwillingness to put yourself out there.
But you know what brought you here and you know how hard it is to live life this way, yet, you have no choice—at least that’s what you tell yourself.
And this is how your existence (as everyone close to you knew it) has perished into oblivion one day at a time.
Even your best friend has trouble getting you to open up.
People are trying so hard to make you see the beauty of life again and to get you out of your shell but out of necessity, you keep hiding from the world and seeking comfort in your private little bubble.
4. You’ve stopped going to gatherings and friendly get-togethers
The saddest part about your need to shield yourself from the world is the gradual decline in your social life.
What used to be a community of people whom you loved and appreciated above all else is now a distant memory that you’ve distanced yourself from.
And why? Because you don’t believe you have what it takes to be the old you anymore.
This is out of fear that those closest to you will come to realize that you’re no longer the person they grew to love and being rejected by them would completely crush you, possibly to the point of no return.
So what do you do? You decide to be the one to cut all contact.
You decide to be the one responsible for the demise of your friendships—and all because of a fear that’s not realistic or plausible.
Your friends love you. They still want you to be in their lives as much as you keep thinking otherwise.
Those you’ve kept closest to your heart would never just abandon you.
Don’t let your past experiences dictate your current relationships. They deserve better from you.
Let them show you why you chose them in the first place, and that way, you’ll see that there’s no point in hiding from the world.
Yes, it’s complex and tricky, but your little circle is worth every single moment of your time.
5. You lie to yourself in order to justify your actions
Deep down, you know that this isn’t right. You know that this newfound need to shield yourself from the world is just a coping mechanism for everything you’ve been through. And yet, you keep doing it.
I get it, though. It’s easier that way.
When you make up stories in your mind for why you need to skip that birthday dinner or not show up for yet another family gathering and so on and so forth, you avoid feeling guilty for doing it.
You tell yourself that everybody would just be on your case the entire time and that by not showing up, you’re just avoiding a possible argument.
Skipping your friend’s birthday dinner is due to your lack of energy for any social gathering, so you don’t go because you tell yourself you’d just ruin the mood and bring everyone down.
Whichever route you choose, you’ve got an excuse in your head to make yourself feel better.
But let me tell you something. Your family and friends would much rather see you even on your worst day than not see you at all.
That’s what love is all about.
You don’t get to pick and choose which days you love them. It’s through thick and thin, good days and bad days.
How To Be Seen Again?
Choose carefully who you spend time with. Have you ever thought that maybe the reason why you’re hiding from the world is the people you keep in it?
Make some changes, and weed out everything that doesn’t make you want to be a better person, including the people you’ve just now realized are deteriorating your emotional growth.
It’s never too late to figure out who’s right for you and who needs to go.
Let yourself be seen for who you are as opposed to who you’ve convinced yourself you are.
When you let the wrong people go, you make it easier for the right ones to see you for the person you’ve always been.
Have you tried to change your outlook on life? Yes, it can suck big time.
People can drain you of your energy, and the horrible stuff you see on the news each day is just devastating.
But there’s a bright side to everything.
There’s your mom who would do anything to see a smile on your face.
There are your siblings who would show up in a matter of minutes to spend the day with you. There’s your dad who would do anything to protect you.
When you start seeing all that, it’s going to be hard staying immune to it.
There are so many people willing to be there for you. And your pessimistic perspective is keeping you from seeing it.
Change your outlook on the world as a whole and start seeing the people in YOUR world who are actually worth a damn.
It’s such a simple change in your thought process, yet so significant for your growth and happiness.
Changing your outlook can change your whole world.
You just have to be willing to get out of your head and stop shielding yourself from seeing all the good that’s going on around you. Open your eyes and let yourself SEE.
