why are you so quiet?

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I usually shrug/nod or give some non-verbal response. At most I just say 'yeah?' in a semi-hostile way, because I think it's kind of a rude or personal thing to be asking me. It always sounds like a socially acceptable way of saying 'you're weird', or like the person's trying to find out if I'm simple.

Yeah, I've gotten that question, or some version of it, usually from family.
"You're so quiet, is there something wrong?"
"Are you sick? You're so quiet."
"You're so quiet, are you sad/angry?"

I knew my family asked out of concern, and I would just truthfully say that no, I'm not sad/angry/sick. I was just listening to something or thinking (whatever the case may be).
I've never given any reason beyond that, but reasons (other than being busy) are that I often don't have anything to say, I have no need to fill silence with talking, and I seldom have the need to speak just because I happen to think or feel something, and I am content keeping my reactions internal.

I can't recall anyone asking me if I'm quiet, but they comment on how quiet I am. Has anyone ever been asked "Are you shy?" I've been getting that a lot lately.

I don't think I ever been asked it as I think it's blatantly obvious - I always think my cheeks go betroot in colour and give the game away , this may not be the case but it feels like it.

I hate it when people say I'm shy just because I'm quiet. I'm not shy, I'm just happy in my own company and I rarely feel the need to get involved in group conversations etc., especially where it's just inconsequential small-talk.

I don't think I blush, and I'm not sure how I appear shy. But I have been asked verbatim "are you shy" by several people now.


I don't think I'm shy either. I am extremely introverted and have social anxiety, but I don't think that's the same as being shy. I'm not quite sure what shy means. It's such an odd question to ask someone.

I've been asked this question multiple times during my life, usually by people at school that I didn't know very well, but usually I'd have selective mutism over those people.

Nowadays, I'm pretty sure things would be much different.

My two main interests are Germany and WWII in case you were wondering.

It's either: "I am tired" - when I don't feel like talking because I am overwhelmed - or "I am not. What makes you think I am quiet?" - because I don't consider myself quiet. I speak a lot when I have something to say and keep silent when I an not interested in the current topic.

Have often been asked this over the decades of my life. This question has multiple answers for me.

1. Nothing to say at a given moment.
2. Don't feel like talking.--Not being rude, just not up to it at the time.
3. Too lost in my own thoughts at the moment to handle conversations.
4. Not into social stuff, as I am an introverted hermit, and talking involves socializing.
5. Too exhausted from my chronic fatigue to handle conversations.

I tend to try to give the least offensive answer to this question, as I found out decades ago, that NTs tend to take offense easily, if you don't socialize heavily with them. The fact that they are imposing their socializing on me, someone who just wants to be left alone, and demanding that I socialize back, offends me, but oh boy, never tell them that.

I've noticed in my decades of life that NTs often get offended by the strangest things, and it's not always possible to avoid offending them because of this. I'd rather stick to being a hermit. NTs are too hard to deal with on a full time basis.

Too anxious to talk. Don't know what to say.

i think talking is ovverated, both as a means of communication and as a constant way of being around others. We do far too much of it, and it often means very little. While we are talking, there are a couple of things that are NOT happening, 1. deep thought, and 2. listening.

This presentation, on introversion, I found brilliant https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c0KYU2j0TM4
The world needs introverts, enough of this obsession with extroversion!