What It Means to Be a Private Person in an Overconnected World

In today’s world, privacy seems to be a thing of the past. We stay connected with each other 24/7 and showcase our whole lives on social media. What does it mean to be a private person in a world of constant connection?

Let’s give a definition of a private person first of all. It is someone who prefers to stay low-key and doesn’t open up to other people easily. Typically, it’s an introvert who doesn’t have many social connections and won’t talk about themselves much. So you won’t see them chitchatting with neighbours or sharing every detail of their life on social media.

What Are the Characteristics of a Private Person?
If you are a private and reserved person, you will relate to these traits and behaviors:

1. You don’t like the attention

The last thing a private personality seeks is being in the spotlight. This is a rare trait in our society with most people begging for attention and approval. For someone who is reserved though, it’s a natural consequence of their personality.

2. You think before you speak

A private person will weigh their words very carefully. If you are one, then you will think a lot before telling other people something about you. With so many fake and jealous personalities around, you want to be sure that you can trust the individual you are talking to.

3. People’s secrets are safe with you

Being a private person is not only about keeping your own secrets safe but also about being loyal to people who confide in you. You will never betray someone’s trust or take part in gossips. This is because you respect other people’s privacy the same way you expect them to respect yours.

4. You have strong personal boundaries

It makes sense why this type of personality hates to see other people snooping into their life. When this happens, you will protect your personal boundaries and won’t tolerate nosy and intrusive behaviors. Needless to say that you will never pry into other people’s business either.

5. You stay off social media

As a private person, you may still use social media, but you will never fall into the trap of oversharing, unlike many people today. You see no point in showcasing your whole life online, so you will certainly not be the one to post hundreds of selfies and personal status updates.

Are Private People Hiding Something?

It’s not uncommon to see how private personalities are misunderstood and confused for being arrogant or even malicious. If you refuse to tell the story of your life to a stranger or make friends with your neighbors, people may start to think that you have some kind of dark secret to hide.

However, the truth is that being private and secretive doesn’t necessarily stem from being an evil person. Yes, it may have to do with trust issues and being overly aloof. But there are some good reasons why some people choose to be private and low-key.