Being open and sharing your inner world, the thoughts within your mind and the feelings in your heart, can be intimidating to some people – basically because they are too timide or feel exposed in some way. Others possibly might want to deal with situations on their own, maybe otherwise they feel weak letting others share in their thoughts and feelings. Perhaps their pride will not allow to show weakness in case of a problem. Or they just do not care as much about anything happening to them, whether it is positive or negative.

There are humans who are different than the party previously described: they have a strong need to share. A problem or situation is not solved and a question that they ask themselves is not answered before involving other humans and share with them. As for our time, I would very much like to include all active social media users in this category. But also outspoken people in relationships, friends and family members belong to this group. They spill out anything they experience, deliver you insight into stories you simply do not need to know for further existence and survival. Sometimes they even complicate situations by talking or sharing too much and giving away too much of their own.

All the information we exchange with our fellows every day is much. Sometimes we are at the receiving end, other times we forward. In terms of deciding whether or not to share thoughts, being the recipient is easy as we either listen or politely ask for silence. The sender on the other hand has to thoughtfully calculate: “Is it means to an end if sharing this particular thought? Will I or my counterpart feel or think any different – most favourably feel and think better – if I confess my thoughts on this particular topic or my feelings?”

Interpersonal relationships can be tough depending on the situation. We do not always tell our special someone that we like them much more than just a friend. We usually do not tell our secrets unknowing if our counterpart would appreciate.

Not only are we confronted with input we take in at almost all times, we are also confronted with decisions, sometimes crucial and sometimes rather not. As a quick mental “pro and con”-list is hardly always applicable, we probably have to trust our instincts to share appropriately.

-your tiny woman in a giant world