The Protection of Strangers

In a stressful situation, such as public speaking, I’d rather be around strangers. Around people I know, I would feel pressured to prove myself, prove something.

With people I don’t know (and therefore don’t worry so much about) I could safely do a speech or whatever, secure in the knowledge that even if I do mess up, I won’t have to see the people again.

I could quite easily hop up, talk, smile, and then sit down, calm and not concerned with what’ll be said later.

Of course, in a situation such as bungy jumping, I think I’d prefer to be around people I do know. In this case, I would get the support and encouragement necessary, if I needed it, to take that step.

I find that the more personal something is, the more I want the protection of being anonymous. I don’t like to contribute to class discussions out loud, or often. So for me, the fact that most of my classmates are strangers to me is a safety net. I can pipe up once or twice, remembering that I will probably not see them after this semester, and carry on.

Maybe this is because I’m learning, finally, not to care what others think.

Written in response to the Daily Prompt.