10 Ways Anyone Can Stand Out in a Crowd

You don’t have to be loud for your voice to be heard

Photo: Richard Drury/Getty Images

It’s an idea that seems baked into American culture: Shyness is a problem to overcome, and the extroverts shall inherit the earth. But Michael Thompson has a different take: “I’ve been observing how quiet people stand out,” he writes on Medium. Here are his major findings for how the naturally shy can stand out:

1. Choose calmness when other people don’t.
2. Be bold in the moments that matter most.
3. Pick just one uncomfortable skill to seriously push.
4. Live to be stolen from.
5. Be a bridge.
6. Keep an eclectic group of friends.
7. Never stop building your empathy muscle.
8. Share the stories you’re afraid to tell.
9. Be someone who lives in the now.
10. Be a mirror.

Thompson elaborates here:

How to Stand Out Without Showing Off