I’ve always been a quiet person. I like to observe people and listen to what they say before I speak. I don’t know why and most quiet people don’t know either, we just are.

The most annoying thing is most people always have to comment on how quiet we are. They ask questions or try to make dull jokes.

I appreciate you trying to get me out of my shell, but it’s not going to work. Also, please try to come up with new things to say.

1. "I didn’t like you when we first met because you never talked..."

I’ve been told this by so many people. Most of the time it’s by people who have never tried to talk to me. They’ve just noticed that I haven’t said much.

Well, maybe I don’t like you because you talk too much.

2. "Can you speak?"

Often times when I get this question I just want to say, "yes, but I just don’t want to."

But I usually just nod because I feel really awkward. It’s typically someone I just met that says this, and it feels weird to me.

After I’ve said hi to you, I honestly don’t know what else I’m supposed to say.

3. "Do you ever talk?"

I hate this question. In my mind, I always say, "yes, just not to you."

Sometimes. there’s just nothing to say so there’s no reason to talk.

4. "You’re always so quiet."

I’m well aware, thank you. You could've said something else that actually makes me want to talk.

5. "Oh, I don’t bite!"

OK, good to know. I didn’t think you did, but since you mentioned it, I’m not sure anymore. This joke is overrated and overused, come up with another one.

6. "Just go talk to them!"

Well, if it was that easy, I would. I can’t get myself to talk, no matter how much I try.

I can’t force myself to talk to someone that I don’t know. I never know what to say, and I feel really out of place.

7. "Can’t you just call?"

No no no no. If I could just call I wouldn’t have to ask someone else to.

I hate to bug people about calling places for me, but at this moment in time, I struggle to do it myself.

8. "Do you not like me or something?"

I feel bad when people ask me this. I struggle with talking to people that I don’t know. It takes me time to get used to someone.

9. "Speak up, I can't hear you"

I know I talk quietly sometimes, but I'm not a mouse. If you could take two seconds to be interested in what I had to say you may be able to hear me.

10. "Wow, it's so loud in here!"

Nice sarcasm but it's so cheesy that I can't even make a comment.

11. "Wow, you talk waaay too much"

Again with the sarcasm. If my silence was awkward, you just made it worse. Being quiet may annoy a lot of people, but what they don't understand is that some people are just naturally quiet.

We can't just jump out of our comfort zone because you think we should. We have to be ready to do so on our own.

But whatever you do, please don't make the silence worse. The little awkward and cheesy things people come up with to start up conversations only increase the silence.

Come up with something original so we can actually try to come out of our shell.