Are you a happy plonker?

I am a plonker, and I’m sure a lot of my comments on this site reveal unknown depths of plonkerdom that I might have to own if revealed to me.

On the ‘Turns out I was wrong’ thread, I commented about learning not to be so shy and getting the confidence to be in public situations. The problem was my self image – not liking how other people saw me.

When in public, we are in the moment and cannot see ourselves as others see us (may be why seeing and hearing recordings of ourselves is at first weird and discomforting). I didn’t take criticism very well, and it can be jolting to have that public persona reflected back to you by the remarks of others.

My daughter had to analyse a text involving a girl commenting to others in a group about how her sister, also present, was a clutz. Both were quite young, and the targeted sister squirmed awkwardly. As we get older, that squirming should fade, as we get used to how others see us when we’re not conscious of ourselves – we learn to recognise our faults, own » Continue Reading.