Saturday, August 18, 2012

Through The Kaleidoscope




It's always been interesting to me how different people, surroundings, and situations bring out different sides of people.  It's the same person with the same personality, but twist the circumstances and social setting a little bit, and they can look very different. Like a kaleidoscope. The same elements making different pictures.

Of course I see that the best with myself, because I'm with myself in all my different settings and situations.  There have been times when parts of my personality surface that surprise people, because they've only seen a certain side of me and understandingly surmised that must be the grand total.   I've been the quiet, awkward girl and the outgoing socialite. I've been the one with nothing to say and the one with too much to say.  I've been the clown and the stoic.  I've been insecure and I've been confident. I'm different at work than I am at home, different with old friends than with new.

You may not know this, but one of the worst things you can comment to a quiet person is about how quiet they are.  Because what they hear is not 'you're so quiet!', but 'you lack social skills and are probably quite dull'.   Most 'quiet' people I've known are actually highly entertaining when they are in a setting and with people that they are comfortable with. And they are often very interesting. You just have to twist the kaleidoscope .

All that to say, humans are fascinating. Never assume that you've got someone pegged, because we all develop a variety of new shades as the light shifts.

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