Jelena Dincic
Having an independent personality is a great asset to have in life.
It means that you don’t rely on others to achieve your goals and you face life’s challenges head-on.
But there’s also a downside to your independence – some people might find you intimidating and choose to stay away from you.
You should be able to embrace your independence without making other people feel afraid or uncomfortable and without jeopardizing relationships.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at 15 signs you have an independent personality that some might find intimidating.
1) You question authority
I know that it may be hard to believe, but most people accept the status quo.
They go on about their daily lives without asking themselves if the “rules” make sense. It never even occurs to them to question authority.
To them, authority figures are in charge for a reason – they know best and their motives shouldn’t be questioned.
But you’re not like most people, are you? You have a mind of your own.
When people with authority – from your parents and teachers to the law-makers and politicians – say something, you don’t just accept it without considering what it means and whether it makes sense.
And when something isn’t right, you attend protests and are ready to put up a fight for those who can’t fight for themselves.
Some people find you inspiring and others… intimidating.
2) You’re not afraid to express your opinions
Whether it’s part of questioning authority or anything else in your life, you have your opinions and you’re not afraid of expressing them.
And here’s the thing: Your opinions won’t always be popular.
But it doesn’t matter because you’ve done your homework – you’re informed about what’s going on in the world, you’re a free thinker, and you’re not afraid to speak your mind.
Other people aren’t so brave. Some don’t even have their own opinions. It’s no wonder that they might find you intimidating!
3) You make decisions independently
You don’t go around asking people “What should I do about my job?” or “Do you think I should get a divorce?”
Because you’re an independent personality, you’re able to weigh the pros and cons of a situation and make the decision you think is in your best interest.
But that’s not all! You don’t let anyone try to tell you how to live your life or make decisions for you, and that scares some people away.
4) Accept responsibility
Now, because you make your own decisions, you’re also ready to take responsibility for their outcome.
You see, a lot of people look for excuses as to why something happened and they’re glad to blame someone else.
But not you.
Your independent personality means that you know exactly what you’re doing and if things don’t work out the way you planned, you can live with that.
The bottom line is that you’ve made your bed and you’re ready to lie in it.
5) You take initiative
You see something that you like and you go for it.
For example, if you’re a woman and you see a guy you like in a bar, you have absolutely no trouble going up to him and asking for his number.
But guess what? Even in this day and age, some guys might find your behavior surprising and intimidating, to say the least.
So should you wait for the guy to approach you?
Hells no. If he’s scared because a girl asked him out, then you need to move on until you find a guy who’ll find your forward approach impressive and even sexy.
6) You’re comfortable with solitude
It’s not that you’ve made a conscious decision to stay single for life or anything like that.
Here’s how you see it: If the right person comes along, great! If not, that’s ok too. You don’t mind being by yourself, it doesn’t scare you.
You’ve got your friends, your work, your dogs, your books, your hobbies, your travels…
In fact, you’re of the opinion that it’s much better to be by yourself than with the wrong person.
But sometimes people misinterpret your independent spirit and think that you don’t like to be around people – that you seek out solitude.
They don’t get you because they can’t stand the idea of being alone.
7) You don’t mind uncertainty
Some people get extremely nervous when they don’t know what’s about to happen next.
They’ve got their whole lives planned out and uncertainty scares them.
However, an independent personality such as yourself isn’t scared of uncertainty, in fact, you’re comfortable with it.
That’s because you know that only two things in life are certain: death and taxes.
You don’t pretend to know what the future has in store for you.
It’s no surprise that your “living on the wild side attitude might intimidate some people.
8) Having a strong sense of self
You know who you are and that scares some people.
You’ve known it since you were five years old and nothing that has happened since or that will happen in the future will change that.
It’s a pretty big deal to have such a strong sense of self – of who you are and what your purpose in life is. Some people spend their whole lives looking, others get lost on the way.
The truth is that such confidence and strength of character are what make certain, weaker people afraid to approach you.
9) You’re self-reliant and self-sufficient
If you want something done, you’ll get it done yourself.
That doesn’t mean that you don’t believe in teamwork or that you’re afraid to ask for help.
It’s just that you’re used to doing things for yourself – it’s the fastest and easiest way to go most of the time.
Sadly, some people don’t understand where you’re coming from and they think that your strength and do-it-yourself attitude are a sign that they should keep away.
10) You are ambitious
The thing with ambition is that a lot of people mistake it for arrogance.
But never mind those people.
The important thing is that you know what you want out of life and that you’re ready to do what it takes to get it.
11) You pick your friends carefully
It’s true that you’re quite picky when it comes to who you spend your time with and that may intimidate some people.
But it’s not like you think you’re better than others, it’s just that you don’t want to waste time with people that you have nothing in common with or people you’re incompatible with.
12) You don’t conform
This is my favorite trait of someone with an independent personality, probably because I’d use it to describe myself.
You don’t try to change who you are to fit in with the “cool crowd” or to make other people like you more.
You’re unconventional. You have your own style.
For example, if you have pink hair, you’ll go to a job interview with pink hair.
If you have tattoos, you won’t cover them up. It’s up to the other person not to judge a book by its cover and to be open-minded.
If someone is biased, that’s their problem, not yours.
13) You’re not afraid of conflict
Look, if a conflict can be avoided, great, but if someone does something to provoke you, you’re not afraid to stand up for yourself and get into an argument.
So, while some people are so scared of getting into a conflict that they’re constantly walking on eggshells, you’re ready to fight for what you believe in and will stand your ground.
That’s why some people find you awe-inspiring and others a little bit scary!
14) You like to be in charge
Because you’re assertive and ambitious, you enjoy being in charge.
Whether it means being captain of the sports team or leading a project at work, you’re happiest taking the lead.
I guess your independent personality means that following other people’s lead isn’t as easy as being the leader.
But here’s the thing, to those less assertive people who are too scared to express their ideas, let alone lead a team, you’re pretty fierce and intimidating.
15) You don’t care what people think
Well, actually that’s not quite right.
Ok, to clarify: when I say that you don’t care what people think about you or what you do, I’m talking about random people. I’m talking about people on the street or on the bus, people who don’t know you.
I’m talking about that guy at the office who doesn’t even know your name.
Because you do care deeply about the opinions of those closest to you – your family and friends.
It’s just that as a strong and independent free-thinker, you know that you shouldn’t really pay attention to what someone who doesn’t know you thinks about you – that would be a waste of energy and emotions.
