Sharing vs. Oversharing
It’s morning and I’m more than half asleep. I’m getting dressed for another day at the office, listening to Pandora radio when my train of thought is derailed by a commercial that is using a pointed comparison of sharing vs. oversharing to sell their product. And I’m wondering when this came to happen and why there is such a problem, such a stigma against the dreaded “oversharing.”
According to dictionary.com, the definition for oversharing is to disclose too much (personal information) or too many (details)about oneself.
What’s so wrong with speaking your mind? What’s so wrong with sharing from the heart and telling others exactly what you think? What’s so wrong with speaking with a boldness and responding with sheer honesty? What’s so wrong with sharing small victories and being proud of yourself? What’s so wrong with discussing the details?
After all, isn’t the beauty of life in the details?
I have spent the majority of my life filtering my thoughts and tiptoeing through strong opinions for fear of offending others. I kept my own voice quiet for fear of “oversharing.” My inner voice of societal norms telling me, “No one wants to hear about that. No one cares.” Or the always popular response, “TMI!” The more that voice crashes through and rains on your parade, the more everything becomes oversharing. Soon, you’re apologizing for your truth. You’re regretful of speaking with excitement over the seemingly lame events of your day. Or you’re awkwardly quiet with a diminished ability to make small talk because what you CAN think to chat about is considered socially unacceptable. Everyone has personal victories and interests that get their gears spinning. Everyone has battle scars from life. Why not share them? We are all human, right?
It has taken me until my thirties to show the world my brazenness and speak straight from the heart, unashamed of my opinions and unapologetic of my reality. And I find this to be such a rare quality in others, that when I do find another person like me, willing and unashamed to bear that raw truth, that it’s a celebration. Like finding a long lost friend, the heart says, “You told me something real about yourself, now we are bonded. Friends forever.”
I’m sure there are some exceptions to this (as there is with everything) and maybe I’m not thinking this through completely. But for me, I’d rather speak with raw honesty and share some depth of myself rather than continue meaningless small-talk.
