People with strong personalities can be very intimidating. They never allow people to disrespect them. They may be very successful in their professional and social lives, but they also create an atmosphere of fear around them. The fights and struggles they have endured all their lives make them like coconut, hard from outside, soft from inside. They always have their defensive shield up, which makes people feel afraid to approach them. They are skeptical of others’ intentions and trust no one but themselves. Though people with strong and intimidating personalities are kind and have a big heart, others feel like they are in enemy territory because of their straight talk, emotionless expressions, and no-nonsense approach at work.
People with strong and intimidating personalities may do things differently, but they have many common characteristics.
Here are 7 characteristics of people with a strong personality that people find intimidating-
-
People remain silent around them.
People with strong and intimidating personalities have a very good understanding of themselves. They often know why they do what they do with clarity. Their actions and words are well calculated. This makes them too abrupt, short, emotionless, and absolute when they speak. People interpret this as rudeness and, in most cases, unable to process what they heard. Being calculative and to the point kills the spontaneity of the conversation.
People with a strong personality often say very meaningful and intellectual things, which make others actually appreciate them. Still, people prefer to remain silent because they don’t want to disappoint or have nothing important to add to the conversation.
Also, people with a strong personality are notorious to directly give conclusions instead of expressing opinions that are open to further discussion. Their authoritative tone implies that theirs is the final word on the subject. This can dampen the mood of an otherwise cheerful gathering. No wonder people find it intimidating.
-
They are candid and sincere.
People who have strong and intimidating personalities tend to be very honest and stoic. They don’t mince words and are not afraid to speak what’s in their mind. They hate people-pleasing and reject flattery or social niceties. Their words are raw and direct when they know the truth. This makes them appear inconsiderate to other person’s feelings. People with intimidating personalities are infamous for brutal truth bombs. Though what they say is right, it is rude in the listener’s mind because of how things are said. People sometimes deliberately avoid harsh realities and prefer to bury their heads in the sand. It is common for people to get intimidated by someone whose worldview doesn’t align with their own. Don’t expect sugar-coated truths from someone with a strong personality.
-
They abhor weakness
Because of their intimidating personality, they have difficulty sympathizing with other’s weaknesses and vulnerabilities. They would help overcome the weakness rather than provide emotional support and a shoulder to cry on. Being tough and independent makes them isolated from affection and emotional warmth.
People with strong and intimidating personalities believe that the world is all about- eat or be eaten. Showing signs of weakness is tantamount to being vulnerable to the harsh rules of nature. They would work on the weakness and eliminate it instead of projecting themselves as poor victims.
-
They hate small talk.
People with strong personalities prefer to have intellectual conversations over mundane chit-chats in social settings. They look out for people who are intellectually curious and wish to have meaningful conversations. The intimidating aspect is that they are not afraid to tell people exactly the kind of conversation they want to have. They would cut short the small talk and move directly on to worthwhile subjects.
-
Stupidity and ignorance repel them.
Most strong-willed people devote a great deal of time and effort to learn and understand the world as much as possible. They soak up all the knowledge with an open mind. People with strong personalities can’t tolerate anyone who is willfully ignorant and say things that defy logic. They don’t hesitate to call out people on their stupidity or point the logical loopholes in someone’s argument.
-
They are not attention seekers.
Being strong and self-sufficient, they don’t care about the positive and negative attention they draw towards themselves due to their strong and intimidating personality. Seeking attention never cross their mind. Rather they prefer to focus on themselves and their work. Getting the task done is of utmost importance to them. People with strong personalities avoid people who crave attention and drama. They find it worthless to spend their precious time and energy seeking attention and validation from others.
-
They don’t believe in excuses.
People with strong personalities have the determination and work ethic, which leaves no room for excuses. They work hard to overcome the obstacles and believe in taking immediate corrective actions rather than complaining and making excuses. They have zero sympathies for anyone who procrastinate the work or makes excuses for their incompetence without legitimate reasons. People with strong personalities believe in ‘action speaks louder than words’. They focus on providing the solution rather than thinking or worrying about the problem. The people get intimidated by their low tolerance for excuses, but they appreciate their iron will.
Hunaid Germanwala is a digital marketer and content creator at Health Products For You since 2014. He has an MS from Ulm University in Germany. His mind is always buzzing with creative ideas and is eager to explore new perspectives. His motto in life is “Better to Light the Candle than to Curse the Darkness.”