The Student Room Group

Why does society value people who hide their true feelings?

I don't understand why we have to hide our true feelings in order for people to like us. I get very timid in social situations and I can't control or hide it. My dad likes to scrutinize every single little thing I do which makes me timid. He always finds something I did wrong and endlessly criticizes me. Like he's obsessed with every single mistake I have made and can't stop telling me about them. It's making me go insane. If I say anything about this behavior or disagree with it, he will hit me and yell at me. Today I had to get my graduation picture taken, and at the end, he just tells me that him and my mom have to "train me to not project timidness in public." However, nobody noticed my timidness except for my dad. My mom disagreed with him but he said she was wrong. Every single time I have a social interaction, It feels like my dad is watching me and criticizing every single little thing I do, which makes me not want to have social interactions at all. Additionally, my dad frequently gives me and my mom unsolicited advice about our problems. He claims that he's "helping" us, however, the advice feels more like bullying and invasion of space and privacy than actual help. Plus I can't disagree with the advice or I'll get hit in the face or yelled at. I frequently lie to my dad so that I won't have to have a conversation about how bad I am at things or all the mistakes I have made. I have a much better relationship with my mom than my dad because she lets me disagree with her opinions and she doesn't hit me in the face just for saying something that she deems incorrect. Why is my dad behaving this way? Do I always have to crack a fake smile and pretend that I enjoy getting endlessly criticized every day?
(edited 2 years ago)
Not just your dad, public opinion has it too, it's been holding me back from going for what I really want to do.

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