Having gotten over (most of) my social anxiety, I often find myself looking at what I write and comparing it to the ideas i’m able to speak. They seem like night and day. I get good grades on assignments but cant seem to articulate very meaningful ideas irl most of the time.
I understand that these are two different skills, but why am I able to write so consistently and quickly and then when I speak, I’m much less effective at getting my thoughts out into the world? I’m not exactly “slow” (at least I hope not) and when I’m thinking, it’s often quite clear. It’s almost like the “multitasking” of speaking while thinking is causing my brain some trouble…
I feel very lucky to have this skill (it runs in the family so I take no credit for it lol). Having said that, it feels like I only ever see like-minded peers that are good at both or have the opposite problem. Quick at talking, challenges with writing. While writing is hard for many people and I get that… I’d honestly trade my skills to be better at speaking. (Especially considering recent innovations in A.I. lmfao) I feel like I’m coming across as a dumbed-down version of myself throughout 90% of my life.
The common advice is “think before you speak” but I’ve always felt like taking too long to speak can be viewed as “awkward” or confusing to people. It seems like a really tricky habit to get into.
Anyone else struggling with this? (Also, sorry for the long read)
2 comments
Your writtings r amazing bcause you da boss😎 And social skillz r no problem for u bcause if writting is easy than amything is.
Theres people out there who wish they could be like u,u should be grateful!
I have two thoughts about this. First, do you just write things from beginning to end without going back and changing things? When I’m writing I tend to just throw all my thoughts on the page at once, and then go back to reorganize ideas and try to connect things better. But I have a harder time speaking (especially about complex subjects) because I can’t go back and “edit” my words in the same way.
If you are good at writing from start to finish without stopping, maybe it helps to try talking more slowly? I think most people speak faster than they can type, so maybe the slower pace of writing helps give your brain time to organize its thoughts better.