Shyness Is A Sin

[dairygirl4u2c]

Can being shy be a sin? If someon is not interacting with soceity, interacting seems sort of like the meaning of life. Perhaps it's also struggling to get to that point. So, can we say it's a sin if you are not making an attempt to not be shy?
Is it only a sin when God is telling you not to be shy?

thoughts?

Edited December 28, 2006 by dairygirl4u2c

[cmotherofpirl]

shyness is genetic

[Aloysius]

social interaction is not the point of life. one would be perfectly within their rights as a human being to voluntarily isolate themselves (so long as they were mentally capable of doing so without doing harm to themselves). that's what a cloister is for, that's why there are hermits and people who take vows of silence.

one need not interact with society to help society. if not for the great trapists locked away in vows of silence praying for the needs of the Church, I am convinced the Church's life would greatly diminish.

so if one wants to be shy, and not have very much sociability, then that is perfectly okay. if it's something that's hurting them emotionally, they feel lonely and sad, then they ought to work on that for the sake of their own health and not to do so may be sinful neglect of care for your soul. but many are perfectly fine and healthy without much social interaction, and there is no need to bother such people if that is how they wish to live.

[littleflower+JMJ]

[quote name='dairygirl4u2c' post='1150672' date='Dec 27 2006, 08:15 PM']
Can being shy be a sin? If someon is not interacting with soceity, interacting seems sort of like the meaning of life. Perhaps it's also struggling to get to that point. So, can we say it's a sin if you are not making an attempt to not be shy?
Is it only a sin when God is telling you not to be shy?

thoughts?
[/quote]

Where did you get this idea from? It doesn't make sense that "being shy" would be sin and interaction with society is the meaning of life.

[Tony]

gee I hope it's not a sin....or I would have to have a priest clinged on to me.

[SinginForHim]

[quote name='Tony' post='1150705' date='Dec 27 2006, 10:54 PM']
gee I hope it's not a sin....or I would have to have a priest clinged on to me.
[/quote]

Me too!

[Socrates]

Strange thread.

Shyness in itself is not a sin; it is simply a personality trait, and is morally neutral, no worse than any other trait like boldness, sociability, etc.
It is what we [i]do[/i] that has moral value.

Shyness would only lead to sin if it causes us to neglect our duties to our fellow man.

However, the Catholic Church has never considered social interaction the sole meaning of life. Some saints have lived as hermits, and there are orders of contemplative cloistered monks and nuns who live apart from the world and dedicate their lives to prayer.
Praying for others can be considered a work of charity even though it would not normally be considered social interaction.

[dairygirl4u2c]

Hermits etc I'm not sure are shy. Some probably are. Agreed some people are not sinning just by not interacting.
Often shyness is there when you want to interact, but don't.

It's a novel idea, but thought worth considering. I always considered how we interact when interacting ot be very important. If you're not interacting, something seems amiss.

I think we're stating the same things, as you guys said if you have a duty you must surpass. That could include an ordinary schmoe who thinks it'd be good for his soul to interact, but does not.

[Starets]

Oh, please! Shyness is no more a sin gregariousness.

[stuckinamo]

oh goodness, shyness is not a sin!
that's like saying joy or patience or happiness is a sin!!

....and if shyness is a sin, someone get me a priest, quick!

although, i could see where your idea may spring from. my shyness is often mistaken for snottiness. (so my mom says) because i can be so quiet and have my arms folded and stuff, my mom says it comes across as being rude.

on quite the contrary, however, i can be loud and interactive with the best of 'em!


in my opinion, shyness is not a sin.
really! think about it. it's in who we are. that's like saying that breathing is a sin! it's just something that's woven into who we are!

[dairygirl4u2c]

if you eventually interact then it might not be that bad. but debilitating shyness might be bad? you might say they are the least culpable. but all this talk of genetic doesn't necessarily work. if god wants us to be shy, then sure. if you look at shyness as a defect, then you can't use that as an excuse, unless you simply cannot surpass it. if you can, and it's a defect, it'd seem like you havea duty to, just like you'd have a duty to do all kinds of things. cool it if you're naturally angry etc. though that specific example begs whether anger is in itself a sin if it's strong or unwarranted etc.

[Starets]

that begs the question of whether shyness is a defect in the first place. the only time it has been debilitating for me is when people pretend to be my friend in order to "help me out of my shell".

[Anthony]

[quote name='dairygirl4u2c' post='1150896' date='Dec 28 2006, 11:16 AM']
if you eventually interact then it might not be that bad. but debilitating shyness might be bad? you might say they are the least culpable. but all this talk of genetic doesn't necessarily work. if god wants us to be shy, then sure. if you look at shyness as a defect, then you can't use that as an excuse, unless you simply cannot surpass it. if you can, and it's a defect, it'd seem like you havea duty to, just like you'd have a duty to do all kinds of things. cool it if you're naturally angry etc. though that specific example begs whether anger is in itself a sin if it's strong or unwarranted etc.
[/quote]

Please stop trying to find a valid argument because there is not. Shyness is not a sin in any form of the word. It is a mere personality trait that some people have to work extremely hard to overcome. I dealt with it in my younger years. In some cases, it isn't something that can be helped.

[dairygirl4u2c]

You say the answer's clear as mud. I say it's not. If it's so obvious, there should be no question. Do you say anger is a personality trait? I agreed if you simply cannot overcome, it surely can't be bad. You didn't address this.

[quote]if you can, and it's a defect, it'd seem like you havea duty to, just like you'd have a duty to do all kinds of things.[/quote]

What do you say about the idea that most people are meant to interact? People usually say we are judged by our interactions with others. If all you have is your mom to interact with, that doesn't seem fair to those who try to expand and allow the dough to levened, as Jesus put it.
People might say in heaven we'll have the chance to interact. Who knows. We know we're suppose to do a lot by faith, and that's why we're here, and this might just be one of those things.

Why do you insist I not speculate?

Edited December 28, 2006 by dairygirl4u2c

[Piamaria]

I'm shy in new situations. Sometimes I have to use a great deal of psychological energy to interact and that's ok. I don't think a personality trait is sinful or good. It's how you use it.