Have you ever been a dark horse?
To be clear I don’t mean in competition, I mean in conversation.
Have you ever surprised someone with information or an achievement?
It ususally sparks the reaction:
‘Oh my god, you’re full of surprises!’
I can see the appeal, you reap the reward of impressing someone in real time, it can feel you’re holding a great secret and it’s a humble alternative to bragging.
‘How could I be seen as cocky if I’m just answering the question someone asked me?’
So there are some benefits to playing the dark horse card but it has to be said there are also drawbacks.
1) You could be waiting forever for someone to ask a specific question.
2) The longer you don’t tell the weirder it gets. Can you imagine finding out that your spouse of 50 years had a miscarriage and they didn’t tell you simply because you didn’t ask.
3) Waiting for someone to ask means missing out on the potential sharing and bonding going on around you.
There are benefits but is it worth the costs?
Thomas Duggan 