1 week Ago By Katie Oborn
Group chats are an efficient way to stay in touch with several people at once, but for some, this kind of communication can be difficult. If you tend to be quiet in collective conversations, it says a lot about your personality, according to psychology . Sometimes there can be pressure to have your say in group chats, be it a family WhatsApp group or a Facebook messenger space, where you and your friends stay in touch.
There’s always several voices chipping in at once and it can, at times, be tricky to get a typed word in - before the conversation moves on. Group chat content moves fast, with conversation swiftly changing along with photos and videos often being shared. How many times have you picked up your phone only to see dozens of new messages in a WhatsApp chat group ? It can be a lot to keep up with.
If you struggle to have your say with this kind of multiple conversation it usually means you’re a deep thinker and an empath. There are eight common traits that mean you’ll tend to stay quiet in group chats, no matter how close you are to the others in the group. There are times when a group chat is full of gossip and drama - and someone who is emotionally resilient will tend to duck out of this kind of interaction.
Being emotionally resilient means that you are able to cope with stressful situations and crisis fairly well, but you tend to do this by preserving your own mental energy first. People who choose quietness have developed emotional resilience, they will not be swayed by peer pressure in a group chat or in day-to-day life. Keeping up with the conversation is not of huge importance to them as they’ll be observing everything and processing it all instead.
This behavior speaks of your emotional stability, you’ll likely have a high level of self worth - and do not need your views to be validated by the group. Quieter people are usually good observers and they’ll take a step back rather than spontaneously responding to every update in the group chat. They will be absorbing everything that is being said and will even pick up on the unspoken emotions and subtle shifts in conversation and tone.
It could be that someone is a classic introvert - and sometimes the best ideas and perception come from quieter folk. However, extroverts with strong intuition will also be emotionally observant and therefore prefer to stay quieter in group chats. There is a lack of impulsiveness in reflective individuals, they will stop to think about a reaction and how their words could be received by others.
This even extends to emojis - these quieter people want to ensure that their replies (portraying real thoughts and feelings) are communicated honestly to recipients. In a group chat, this can mean that a ‘seen’ message could take hours before a response from a thoughtful participant. That person may then respond with a long and well-thought message that’s been constructed from deep within themselves.
Other people in the group can tend to feel frustrated at the pause, however, it’s worth remembering that the more meaningful response is often worth the wait. Sometimes in a group chat, it can feel like everyone is typing, sharing and saying things yet nobody is actually listening to others. Between the jokes, opinions and GIFS, quieter souls will be listening to it all.
They’ll be picking up on tone and context or even how people are really feeling, despite the humor. Quieter folk are often empathetic and by listening they’ll tune into the emotions of others, even in a group chat. It’s likely they will not share that much about themselves as they are too busy tuning into the feelings of others.
Psychologist Daniel Goleman developed theories about the concept of emotional intelligence. He therefore said empathy is a core component of strong interpersonal skills. Quiet people tend to be more empathetic because they listen on a deeper level.
Quieter people will not send a message just to fill the silence because they will feel that is too superficial. They will instead seek meaningful conversation and will not just participate thoughtlessly. These deep thinking folk will not waste time with small talk - even in digital communications.
They will not share every thought with a group chat or their opinion on random topics, instead they will seek out the things that are really important - and reflect before sharing their thoughts. When a typically quiet individual finally decides to voice their thoughts, it's almost guaranteed that everyone will take notice. Those who aren't naturally chatty often carefully choose when to contribute to a conversation.
They may bide their time, collect their thoughts, and then present a viewpoint that completely alters the direction of the discussion. This approach isn't always a conscious decision, they don't see the need to speak for the sake of speaking. However, in group chats, their silence can be misconstrued as disinterest.
The truth is, they might just be waiting for the right moment to offer something meaningful or insightful. Group chats can overwhelm some quieter people, despite the point of such digital spaces being a place to connect and stay in touch. But with several notifications buzzing every hour, those that find comfort in solitude can find this all too much as they need to recharge and reflect.
They will need to process things slowly during time alone. This quiet time alone in silence gives deep thinkers a chance to really work out how others - as well as themselves - are feeling about things. Self awareness means greater self acceptance which usually leads to better relationships in your life - and this even extends into communicating in digital group spaces.
Being less focused on putting every one of your thoughts out there to the world or in a group chat space means you become more in tune with your thoughts and feelings. You’ll understand what upsets you and what makes you feel at ease and happy. You’ll probably avoid too much conflict or confrontation - unless it’s absolutely necessary to get involved.
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