1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Open or guarded?

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Radioactive Bi, May 20, 2014.

  1. Radioactive Bi

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Mar 24, 2014
    Messages:
    1,339
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    UK Midlands
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Bisexual
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    Do you consider yourself an open person or a guarded person. When you meet people or are with them, do you keep most information about yourself and your personal life to yourself or are you happy to share everything (pretty much).

    Why do you think that is and what do you think that says about you as a person? If you share everything, are you perhaps trying to impress the person or maybe your just not bothered if they know all these things. If you are guarded and more private, do you think that may be down to trust issues perhaps from previous experiences.

    I'm not just talking about gender and sexuality here as I'm sure the reason many are here is that they feel guarded on that issue. I'm talking more generally about you.

    So, what are your thoughts.....?

    Happy days :slight_smile:
     
  2. OGS

    OGS
    Full Member

    Joined:
    Feb 1, 2014
    Messages:
    2,716
    Likes Received:
    728
    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    I'm pretty open. I think a lot of that was shaped by the experience of the closet. I sort of look at the closet as an extreme form of guardedness and at least for me it totally warped me and coming out really showed me sort of the virtue of openness and I've pretty much kept it up for the twenty some odd years since. I'm me--most people like it. If you don't well that's not really my problem...(!)
     
  3. Dryad

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2013
    Messages:
    772
    Likes Received:
    14
    Location:
    Europe
    Gender:
    Female
    Gender Pronoun:
    She
    Sexual Orientation:
    Bisexual
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    Extremely open and trying not to be.
     
  4. the prince

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2013
    Messages:
    65
    Likes Received:
    9
    Location:
    Syria
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    Some people
    When I share my personal information because I am trying to impress the person :grin:.

    I am not sure If I am an open person or a guarded person:confused: ; I am quite mysterious :rolle:.
     
  5. Shaded

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    May 16, 2014
    Messages:
    258
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    ....
    Gender:
    Male
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    I'm Quite Guarded, It takes me a while to open up to people and feel comfortable around them, But once I do I can be very Open.
     
  6. An Gentleman

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2013
    Messages:
    1,673
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Cali
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Bisexual
    Out Status:
    A few people
    I'm generally pretty guarded.
     
  7. Sarah2695

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2014
    Messages:
    136
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, South Carolina
    Gender:
    Female
    Sexual Orientation:
    Lesbian
    I am a very open person. I share much of my life and secrets with anyone, sadly. However, in some cases, this can be very harmful to me in the end. So, I am trying to think about what I should share before I actually do. Generally, for me, I share in order to get people to like me. I want to open with them so they will be open with me. In other cases, I am trying to impress someone.
     
  8. Niko

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2012
    Messages:
    729
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Colorado
    I think I'm pretty guarded. For one I try to avoid starting or being a part of a conversation with people I truly don't know. Though I think that's the social anxiety taking over in those situations.

    However I'm slightly more open with people I do know, but I never tell personal things about me to anyone.
     
  9. Jethro702

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2014
    Messages:
    611
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Warner Robins, Georgia, USA.
    I'm kind of like this.... I don't usually tell very personal thinks to anyone.
     
  10. solarcat

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2011
    Messages:
    214
    Likes Received:
    43
    Location:
    Arizona
    Gender:
    Female (trans*)
    Gender Pronoun:
    They
    Sexual Orientation:
    Bisexual
    Out Status:
    Family only
    To most people, I'm very guarded. Unless I'm answering a question, I really never interact with people, and am willing to go out of my way just to avoid it. Most of my responses are just smiles and a quiet laugh to show that I'm not ignoring them. Most people would be lucky if I respond with actual words. But that's if I don't know you.

    To people I do know, I tend to be much more sociable, and slightly insane :slight_smile:
    There's a few people to whom I'm open about everything, but that requires some form of medium between us (eg texting, Facebook); face-to-face or over the phone, I suddenly get very shy again.
     
  11. Hexagon

    Full Member

    Joined:
    May 1, 2011
    Messages:
    8,558
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Earth
  12. chrisyboy

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Mar 16, 2013
    Messages:
    294
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Glasgow-ish
    Gender:
    Male
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Yep. It depends though, you don't tell certain people certain things. The trick is to know when to shut it.
     
  13. Julieno

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2014
    Messages:
    210
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Sheffield, UK
    Probably too open. I think it is a combination of me not caring much about keeping secrets and wanting to impress people. I also like to make my opinions clear.

    I am working on toning it down though, since I have realized that sometimes it’s too much (ironic since I am talking about myself in this post, is this some kind of trap? :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:)
     
  14. PatrickUK

    Advisor Full Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2014
    Messages:
    6,943
    Likes Received:
    2,359
    Location:
    England
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    I'm pretty open with people and I think it's the best way to build friendships and relationships. Sometimes you can get your fingers burnt, but I'm willing to take the chance.
     
  15. Z3ni

    Z3ni Guest

    Well. I don't open up manually, unless I'm asked I will partially open up to people.
     
  16. Camerooon

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2014
    Messages:
    139
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    United Kingdom
    I'm like 50:50. I'm very open depending on the subject and/or who I'm talking to, but I'm very guarded about some things/with some people. I guard a lot of private or touchy stuff, but I'm generally quite open about some stuff. I'm weird. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:
     
  17. Hiems

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2012
    Messages:
    1,183
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    New Jersey
    I'm generally very guarded towards people I don't know. After I know the person enough to trust him/her, I reveal more about myself. Sometimes my intention is to impress, while other times I have no qualms disclosing personal stuff.
     
  18. sam the man

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2013
    Messages:
    790
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    England
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Bisexual
    Out Status:
    A few people
    Guarded on the whole. I'm trying to make myself more open, but if I don't know the person that well I'm reluctant to even start a conversation. If I'm not trying to get to know them, I figure they don't need to know much extra about me. Unless I know them well or am trying to win their favour I won't reveal anything much more than hints in terms of interests, personality, habits without prompting (that's why none of my acquaintances even know much about the music I like). But if it's more mundane things like school or what food I like I don't have too much of a problem.
     
  19. Caillin

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2013
    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    Guarded theres information about me that I don't care to share with others.
     
  20. awesomeness

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2014
    Messages:
    347
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Scandinavia
    Gender:
    Male
    I tend to share really random things that most people would consider "private". Even if I don't know the person that well. I mostly do it to break the ice, or just to make people laugh with my bluntness lol.