I've been really sheltered all my life and still am. Don't watch tv or any recent movies, don't get into relationships or like to spend time around a lot of people.

When I do though, I tent to stay quiet and just listen to everyone around me, since I never feel I have anything to say that doesn't make a big show of just how sheltered or ignorant I really am. I feel this makes people uncomfortable a lot of the time, since some people are open about the fact that they don't like "shy" or "quiet" people.

Is anyone else this way/used to be this way/have an opinion?

I'm pretty much the same way, except I don't consider myself sheltered, more like... inexperienced and detached. But I also tend to stay quiet more than speak. I find that in large groups of people it's easier, because you are less responsible for keeping up the conversation. It's hell to be left alone with someone I have nothing to say to, though!

It's taken me quite long to realize that there's nothing wrong with being quiet, it doesn't mean you're an idiot, and the fact is that social situations often ARE awkward, but it's not to be taken so seriously. :)

I'm one of those noisy chatty people, and you introverts are my favorite kind of people. You don't make me uncomfortable at all. Y'all are always so chill, and since you take time to listen and form opinions before speaking, I've found that y'all have the most interesting things to say. You know how people say you have to watch out for the quiet ones? Well, I do, because I think y'all are cool.

I used to be like that, still feel very awkward at times.

I got away from that by 'researching' learning about things i didnt know. Read books, surfed web. Until I knew just about what they did. Its not bad to be sheltered, I was thankful that my parents did when I was younger, but i know how much it cripples someone (and it sucks)

I just advise reading and surfing the web.

I'm still fairly quiet and keep to myself though, i dont think that will ever change.

Ah I always take things too seriously. Every once in a while I'll have an epiphany where I don't and have the best time in the world. What do you do to remind yourself?

I really genuinely wish there were more open-minded people like you in the world.

Why thankful to be sheltered? Out of curiosity. It's nice to be able to spend lots of time alone, after hearing about how some can't stand it. But often I feel like I have no choice anyway lol

As I got 'unsheltered' (Guess you could call it), I could see the how fowl the world was around me.

I honestly thought it was better to live my younger days naive than mature so quickly to the world around....

I'm naturally an introvert, not sheltered per say, but just in general quiet and withdrawn. If it's someone I know, I can actually be fairly chatty and quite loquacious actually, but when I'm in a group of people I don't know I get, very, very quiet. Part of it is just me being uncomfortable in large group situations and part of is just in general not having anything to say, but I've found that when I do find someone I can chat with, I tend to get chatty to the point of probably being a bit annoying actually. In fact, if I'm in a large group and gravitate toward a particular person I tend to stick with that person pretty much during the entire group outing, just because they're the only one I can relate to. It does mean that if I'm stuck with someone I don't know or just can't mesh with, I'll usually end up spending the entire time either saying very little to them or just saying nothing at all.

Anyway, honestly, internet is a good place to find interesting topics or things for conversation, so you could always start from there.

It's a constant struggle, really. When I'm in a group of people, I try to remember that most people don't actually mind if you say things that don't matter very much. You don't need to come up with words that change the world. Small talk is good, but it isn't always about "hey, how are you, oh you're fine, well i'm fine too, great, bye", it can also be just mentioning random stuff... commenting on something you see, hear, taste. Even something like that can make the more social people think you less strange.

It's awful to come back home and then realize all the things that went wrong in a conversation, though. I have this thing that helps me cope... sometimes I start to worry about awkward situations/conversations afterwards, and I let myself feel bad about it for 20 minutes or so. After that, I stop thinking about it. If I notice myself slipping into those thoughts again, I just stop myself by keeping my mind on other things (even if it's just repeating the words "NOT GONNA THINK ABOUT THAT" a million times in my mind). The need to wallow in it passes after a while, and then I just remember I had a great time. :)

Stuff like this does get a bit better and easier the more you spend time with people. In my opinion, we're pressured to be social wayyy too much these days. Some people WILL think you're weird and unlikeable if you don't talk that much, but you can't please everyone. It's important to realize there's nothing wrong with being the way you are, though.