As I write this blog, I can’t stop thinking about the thin-skinned personality of my husband. He is the one person who I feel comfortable enough to tell to stop being a jerk. I guess I am fortunate that he is so hard on himself, because it’s not easy to be my own husband.
Is it too late to start a blog? It’s the beginning of the journey.
People who are so afraid of being hurt by others that they think they have to be physically protective of themselves are pretty scary. We all have our own ways of managing that fear. Some people live with it because they don’t like to speak up. We all have our own ways of dealing with the consequences of being the kind of person who is so scared of being hurt that they have to be physically protective of themselves.
The whole concept of “thin skin” is a bit of a misnomer. For the most part, we are pretty self-aware beings. We like to think we are immune to the kinds of things that can be thrown our way. But in reality, the things we fear are only the ones we can’t deal with on our own. So to speak of thick or thin skin is like saying we have a “thick” or “thin” bone.
Some of the things that people fear are actually very real, but we are so afraid of them that we have to go out of our way to protect ourselves. But the way we do it is with a thin or thick skin. Thin skin is the type of self-protection we can use as we deal with the situations that may arise. Thick skin is the type of self-protection that involves facing the situation and dealing with it on our own.
For example, I have thick skin and I never run away or hide if something happens to me. I make a decision to run away because it’s the right thing to do. There is not a single time that I don’t run away from situations in life.
Thick skin can only be developed if you can tolerate the situation. Thin skin (the kind you can’t tolerate) can be developed by taking a step back and thinking about your situation. I can’t make myself thin skin because I will just get in trouble.
You can develop thick skin, but not if you are unwilling or unable to take a step back to consider your situation. Many people have thick skin and thick but ill-tolerated skin. They are like the people who drive in their parents car. They have a little too much speed and a little too much anger. They are like the people who take a big step forward and then back down.
Well said. Thick skin is the ability to handle and maintain a certain amount of self-awareness and self-confidence. The lack of thick skin can lead to lots of trouble.
This is especially true in the workplace, where a person who has “thin skin” is someone who is less likely to get the “harsh” feedback that they need from their coworkers to be successful. A person with thick skin is someone who is able to tolerate the consequences of their actions and be able to handle them. The consequences of being too aggressive, rude, or aggressive will get worse as you become more self-aware, and that will lead to even more anger and other negative feelings.
