Being quiet does not mean you are weak.
This is something I have always believed in, and I still believe in it to this day. My experiences in life have shown me the truth in this belief I hold, and I am proud to share it with others.
As a kid, I have always hated school. I remember my mum had to go to work late every day because she had to drag me to kindergarten. I would cry every day and came up with every excuse I could to avoid school. As I got into middle school, my hatred towards school did not just disappear, but I somehow managed to tolerate it much better. In middle school, I grew up to be someone who was quiet but would excel in every subject in class. Don’t get me wrong. Still, I wouldn’t say I like school, but I always like to get things done quickly and perfectly because I would feel so shy if the teachers said anything or complained about my work. I became the school prefect for 4 years during middle school because I excelled academically and seemed very disciplined (according to the teachers). During my senior year, I was rewarded with the Best Student Award and the Best Student Character Award for my overall achievement.
One thing that fascinates me about all these achievements I used to get in middle school is that I have always been a quiet kid. Have you ever heard of the ‘Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)’ personality test? Well, my MBTI is INFP-T, which basically means that I’m an introvert. As an introvert, it does not mean that I didn’t join any club or any activities; it’s just that I have never been a fan of public speaking or even having to talk to a group larger than 2 people.
Moving towards my high school year, my hatred towards school still did not fade away. During my high school year, I was sent to a boarding school. I was so homesick. I would call my parents at least 5 times a day using the public phone(because we weren’t allowed to bring a phone to school) and cry my eyes out every single time because I did not want to be there. However, my parents always tried to convince me and made me stay at school.
As I got into my second year in the school, I felt like, ‘Screw this. I will try to enjoy my 4 years left here by doing my best, just like how I used to be in middle school.’ So I did. I tried my best academically, but high school was tough. It was tougher than middle school, and I did not manage to be among the top students in my batch. Still, I was not among the lowest in my batch, so I tried to apply for the school prefect position in my second year. In my high school, being a prefect gives you a good point for your resume, which means you’re among the top students in the school.
Guess what? I got rejected. The school rejected me because they said I was not smart enough and did not seem capable enough to lead others because I was a quiet kid. I was devastated. A little because they said I was not smart enough, but more because they said I could not lead others because I’m a quiet kid.
So, I made a promise to the school. I promised them that if I became one of the top students in my batch on the final exam, they would elect me to be a prefect.
And I did. I managed to be among the top students in my batch and even became the school representative in several competitions, and I won those competitions. I met the teachers who had rejected my application before and proudly showed them all my achievements. At that point, they had no other choice but to elect me because I had proved them wrong.
My achievements did not stop there. Until my senior year, I kept achieving many things and representing the school in many competitions. But truthfully, there’s one thing that never really change. I am still a shy and quiet kid. I only talk when I need to, never just for fun.
People frequently judge others very quickly and with little information. As my story goes, the school judged me because they saw me as a quiet person and thought I could not achieve that. Indeed they were wrong.
Just know that you’re not weak if you’re quiet and kind. These individuals exhibit a powerful, controlled inner strength that involves being aware of when to talk, when to listen, when to act and when to wait. We shouldn’t undervalue such individuals. They have the greatest strength, and they traverse the planet!