Shyness Is A Sin

[uruviel]

Shyness to an extent is not a sin. Now if you go out of your way to be rude and ugly to people and avoid all contact with any human because you hate them.... I guess that wouldn't be considered shy then. But anyways, I'm alittle shy. I firmly believe that I am not sinning when I am shy in social groups; or not interacting. I doubt God will hold you accountable for being too shy to speak with people.

[heavenseeker]

[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]
how would being shy possably be a sin? it dosent even make sense that you even asked about that. a sin is knowing something is wrong and willingly doing it, being shy has nothing to do with either of those two things

[dairygirl4u2c]

well, just because it's not known to be wrong, doens't mean it shouldn't be classified that way at least sometimes. i suppose ultimately it's not a sin if people don't know, but maybe it should be is what i'm getting at.

i do acknowledge shyness isn't the eighth deadly sin.

Edited December 29, 2006 by dairygirl4u2c

[heavenseeker]

why should it be one? there isnt anything about it that could make it one from what i can see.

[uruviel]

exactly. I don't see why it should be in any way an offense to God. Maybe if your intent was wrong, towards the people or something like that. But shyness should not be a sin in my view, as someone said earlier, social interaction is not the point of life.

[heavenseeker]

um Uruviel.. how can shyness have an intent?

[uruviel]

if you intended to avoid someone because you didn't like them...? I don't know... let me look up the real meaning of shy.

1 : easily frightened : TIMID
2 : disposed to avoid a person or thing <publicity shy>
3 : hesitant in committing oneself : CIRCUMSPECT
4 : sensitively diffident or retiring :

when I'm shy, I'm not 1-3 or 4. But number 2 is a way in which you could actually intend on being rude, avoiding someone.

[heavenseeker]

but there is avoiding because you're shy and avoiding to be rude if your doing it because you're shy then there isn't anything wrong with it

[dairygirl4u2c]

so are all you guys saying someone who is shy has no duty whatsoever to overcome their shyness?

I don't think anyone would say that.

So, sure, you aren't always sinning just because you happen to be shy or are shy sometimes in act. But otherwise, genereally you do sometimes have to overcome it.

Is there anyone who thinks you never have to try to overcome it? That you can just content yourself with living within your comfort zone and never expand?

btw.. the title of this thread is just to catch attention. i don't believe shyness is a sin or even considering it. i am only considering that it is sometimes. or that is, not acting to go beyond your tendency more accurately is.

Edited December 30, 2006 by dairygirl4u2c

[Mercy me]

I actually have struggled with this issue because I am very shy. The proplem with being shy is that I find myself committing sins of omission like failing to reach out. I really have to work to overcome this. So, shyness is not a sin in and of itself. It is, however, a cross.

[heavenseeker]

[quote name='dairygirl4u2c' post='1151954' date='Dec 30 2006, 12:36 AM']
so are all you guys saying someone who is shy has no duty whatsoever to overcome their shyness?

I don't think anyone would say that.

So, sure, you aren't always sinning just because you happen to be shy or are shy sometimes in act. But otherwise, genereally you do sometimes have to overcome it.

Is there anyone who thinks you never have to try to overcome it? That you can just content yourself with living within your comfort zone and never expand?

btw.. the title of this thread is just to catch attention. i don't believe shyness is a sin or even considering it. i am only considering that it is sometimes. or that is, not acting to go beyond your tendency more accurately is.
[/quote]
with that new wording of the question then yeah in some cases being sh ycan be a problem but you dont have to overcome it it just might help you if you do

[Guest phatdaddy]

oops wrong account

Edited December 30, 2006 by phatdaddy

[uruviel]

Sorry that was me ^

I never said it's anything to be proud of. Yes, you should try to get rid of it because at times it can be a bad 'habit' or whatever you want to call it. But I don't think it is a wrong, thus it would not be offending God if you didn't correct it.

[Paddington]

dairygirl,

I like this thread, because of my personal experiences. I think that it is an everyday thing, and in many ways, that people say and write things that CAN LOGICALLY BE PERCEIVED as meaning that shyness is a flaw (i.e. sin). Sometimes it is by a worldy standard. Sometimes people are just expressing their preferences. Sometimes it is about a legitimate spiritual thing. When it is a legitimate spiritual issue (e.g. anxiety, coldness, fearfulness, sin of omission), it is still NEVER the same as a condemnation of the shy personality, shy temptations or shy behavior. People making an examination of conscience should NEVER ask themselves if they have been shy. People who are setting goals should not put "not being shy" on their list. I think that sticking up for a person is a good goal. I think cracking a smile at people a few times a day is a good goal. I think being polite is a good goal. I think trying to respectfully comfort somebody who is down is a good goal. It is all about following God's commands. What else is there?

It is actually more dangerous to be one of those people who talks a lot. "Where words are many, sin is not far." I regret things I have said more often than things I have not said. I think that is pretty normal of me.

Peace
Paddington

[morostheos]

[quote name='Mercy me' post='1151960' date='Dec 30 2006, 07:50 AM']
I actually have struggled with this issue because I am very shy. The proplem with being shy is that I find myself committing sins of omission like failing to reach out. I really have to work to overcome this. So, shyness is not a sin in and of itself. It is, however, a cross.
[/quote]



Shyness itself is certainly not a sin, but there are definitely sins that can stem from it:

-sins of omission, when you should have said/done something but didn't
-vanity - not saying anything because you're afraid of what others might think of you (rather than what God thinks of you)


These things are definitely sins, and hinder our relationship with God. I don't know about everyone else here, but personally my shyness stems from worrying what others think, so it is a sin in that way and something which I must work to overcome.