Why is being quiet such a bad thing?

I was walking in my highschool corridor, passed two girls. They stared at me, and then I heard they talked about me
"He is popular out there"
"Really?"
"Yes!. There are many people who know him"

I was not surprised with it. But some of my schoolmates were surprised because they got question out there "Are you from that school?. Oh, do you know Ardianto?". Indeed, I was popular enough among the youth in that time. I knew it.

Graduated from highschool I went to another city to study there. Immediately I got a number of new friends, not only from my university.

One day I gathered with few of my friends. One of them told something. Me and other friends just listened. But then I made a short comment that made them silent for few seconds, then laugh. And one of them said "Ardianto is rarely talk. But when he talk ...... he ...he ...he".

Rarely talk? ............... I am a quiet person.

Yes, I am a quiet person, and bit shy too. But I have many friends and acquaintances. Sound contradictive?. No!. Being a quiet person is not a barrier for socialization. As long as you can be nice to the others and willing to accept the others, then there are always people who are willing to accept you as their friend. People are not always expect someone who can talk much. Even there are people who prefer someone who can listen to them, and the quiet person is the best choice.

Frankly, I must thanks my mother in this matter. When I was little kid I was a boy who too shy to be acquainted. It made my mother often angry to me because I often refuse to be acquainted with her friend children. Then my mother told me "If you refuse to be acquainted with other people, then people would regard you as arrogant boy!". Of course I didn't want to be regarded as arrogant.

So I tried to dare to introduce myself to someone else. In the beginning I just mention my name and smile. But then I tried to say something simple like "Today's weather is sunny, isn't it". Just simple words, but it's enough to make my new acquaintances respond me and started to talk. Later I began familiar with talk with new person although usually I was in position which I listen more than talk.

But what which really helped me was my activities in public.

Join in club or do sport activity is really help, like brother Samiun mention. I know it because I was active in sport competition when I was young. I have competed in dozens sport events.

Sport competition helped me to train my ability in interact with public. Competition made me got special attention from people who watched my action and it made them wanted to interact with me. Of course I didn't want to disappoint them. So I tried to respond them nicely. I also got many friends from my sport activities.

Do activity in public can give you chance to train your ability in interact with other people. It's okay if you don't like sport activity. You can involved in other public activities like charity bazaar or work voluntary for public. These activities can make someone or some people want to interact with you. I know it from my own experiences.

So, is being quiet person a bad thing?. Absolutely not.

But there is one that the quiet people must notice. Do not ever try to change yourself to become a person who talk much because you will never able to do this. It's better if you develop your special ability, ability to listen to the others. Remember what I've mentioned above. There are people who prefer someone who can listen to them, and the quiet person is the best choice.

there is a famous saying for this:

"The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear."

Smile ........ smile ........ smile.

Smile will make people always remember you although you talk very few. Smile also can make people feel invited to talk with you.

Trust me, it's work.