Decoding Shy Guy Texting Habits

We are used to determining the characters of people by their behaviors and gestures. Sometimes they are loud, and sometimes they are soft and low-key. 

We categorize people into extroverts and introverts depending on these manners of body language and expressive moves. 

Among the majority of guys who are smart and vehement, there is always a shy guy who likes to keep quiet. It's not that he doesn't want to participate in the interaction, but their reactions are restricted to limited words and expressions.

People mistake them for rude or proud, yet they hardly open up to prove them wrong. Needless to say, they always remain a mystery for most people due to their shyness. Those who want to know them soon realize they are the hardest nut to crack.

Loving them seems to be a challenge for the girls who have to read between the lines and can see the tender self behind their tough outer shells. So, they need to look for clues and cues to crack through the riddle and know the real person.

In the first few encounters, women can notice that these guys are elusive, and that's what intensifies the element of secrecy in them. 

What is going on in their minds? Is he happy? Or doesn't he feel involved? Or is it only that he is too smug?

But if you take the time to read them carefully, it will be easily known that these men are usually comfortable with texts. They are much more accessible in virtual communication, which, in a way, gives you a window into their hearts. 

The good news is that this article is meant to be the guiding star with those textual signs that can answer your confusion.

Have faith and take in the content.

My own little prism

As I love to see this, it's pure fun to deal with a shy guy. You might be astonished to know that and wonder how it is so. 

It's because they have a Sphinx-like enigma, inscrutable and evasive for others to decipher. The thrill lies in this trait of intangibility that turns them into people who are great to chase and catch up.

I encounter so many people in my professional and personal life. A great deal of them have personalities that are not difficult to judge. But when it comes to shy people, they are too tricky to pin down, and I have to literally struggle to learn their true colors.

However, I must mention that shy men are the worst sufferers of heartaches because they are withdrawn in voicing their pain in front of others, or rather, they are incapable of setting their emotions free.

So when one is eager to get to know these guys, they have to possess a special skill to put things under the microscope and frame a conclusion. 

They are unique. They are timid. And I want to add that they are often the loneliest of people on the planet. 

Since texts can enable them to shy away from people they fight to stand face to face, they love to hold on to them as their favorite mode of communication. 

Their world is small because there are few people who have the ability to listen to their unsaid phrases and can secure a place close to their hearts. 

Hence, if you decide to be one of those selected ones to stay near him and decode his disguised texts, I am here to help you with this blog. It will encompass topics like 

• The common pattern of texts sent by a shy guy
• Typical habits revealing his shyness through texts
• Things that will show you he is interested in you

So, girl, get ready to sail through the mazes of the mind of a shy guy you are much into these days.

The common pattern of texts sent by a shy guy

As I said, people follow the patterns of behavior to know someone. But shy guys are too tight-lipped and subdued to send behavioral ideas. 

Then how do they form their circle? How do others form relationships with them?

One sweet thing becomes the joining bridge for them. Text messages that do not require physical presence can reflect their thoughts to the other person with a relatively safe narrative engagement.

But that, too, has a definite style for such introverted characters. 

Let's pierce the veil of secrecy.

#1 They are mostly dry texts

Shy guys are usually inept in sending texts that will be full of information about them. So they cut it short and end abruptly.

Apparently, it looks like he is not interested in going ahead with the conversation and wants to close it off with a formal and lifeless text. 

The receiver of dry texts undoubtedly is misled by the notion that the guy is either a snob or not in the mood to talk. As an obvious consequence, she may discontinue the chat, and surprisingly, the guy won't send further texts to take it forward either.

A total mess of communication.

Now, I will tell you the actual story.

The dry texter is neither arrogant nor disinterested. He is a timid guy who doesn't know how to move it further. He is at a loss for proper sentences that can give you a hint that he wants more and is eagerly waiting for you to talk your heart out.

He is the one-word conversationalist who can get on your nerves with his boring and concise messages that you may find misfitting to your long paragraphs. 

But despite knowing that these texts can ruin the essence of a chat, he is left with no other choice. Neither can they let their tongues take charge of speaking their minds. The most they can do is to answer your messages. 

See how these dry texts may look to make a guess about his submissive nature:

• Okay, done.
• Thank you.
• Fine.
• Yes.
• You?

I know it must be testing your patience to get these half-dead languages as responses to your deep, expectant messages. 

Still, I would tell you to take the lead if your shy guy lags behind in textual expertise, or the chapter would never get off the ground.

#2 He takes a long time to re-text and reply

Now, this is another challenge with shy people. You text them with the expectation he would get back to you almost immediately if he is zealous about the chat. But it takes ages for his replies to pop into the screen. By then, you drift off to other commitments, giving up on him.

He was a master of the delayed response. He'd take his time to craft the perfect message, only to hit send and immediately regret it.

- Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl

What R. Rowell says through these words highlights the quirks of shy lads in giving late replies to order and reorder his line of thinking before he forwards it.

It is a common characteristic of their nature, my girl. You can't be judgemental so easily dealing with a person who is accustomed to staying inside his own emotional closet. 

When a potential relationship starts to bloom, I am sure things reach the cliff of excitement. Couples are fast in exchanging thoughts and plans. There is always verbal tennis between two people who begin to feel for each other. 

And here is this cute, shy boy who needs a long time to absorb the texts, think, and frame an apt reply to forward. 

You get almost nothing to gauge their feeling toward you, and the game gets slowed down. You lose interest and go off to sleep.

Am I right?

Basically, they overthink sending replies that may be ideal in the given condition. They are too overpowered by the possibility of misunderstanding that the replies can cause. 

As a result, you must have seen him typing and retyping for an infinite time when you two are in a WhatsApp chat. It's because he is not sure about the right kind of replies that can be well-suited.

On the other hand, you misinterpret this as his apathy to get connected. Stuck between 'to send or not to send', the poor fellow might be misunderstood in most cases and becomes the lover of an unfinished love story.

If that sounds similar, use the following recipe of actions:

• Patience is the best medicine for his shyness. Wait until he reverts to you with his ideal replies.
• Make him talk without much-calculated thought.
• Invest more time and energy into the conversations.
• Try to talk about things of his interest so that he can show his spontaneity.

#3 The texts won't open up much about his feelings

If you closely notice his texts, you will understand that they do not reveal much about the feelings he might be cherishing secretly. The messages will carry a tone of safe and semi-formal notes.

I mean, he will be reserved and guarded about disclosing his deepest sentiments, even in his texts. He will deliberately use close-ended sentences to stay reticent lest he might sound desperate. 

These efforts to talk less about themselves are inherent in the personalities of shy men who can best act as listeners. 

Instead of letting you get a hint of his romantic streak, he may get into a conversation where you can speak about your personal life, your close ones, and preferred activities. 

This is when you should get a speculation that his interest might stem from an urge to know you more.

I've got a very personal story to share here. My younger brother is a timid guy, and he used to converse with his girlfriend just the same way a couple of years ago. On the other hand, his partner was a talker who always had a lot to say. 

My brother could never summon up the courage to express his love, even by sending the three words through messages.  But never mind, his girlfriend came up first and made the marriage proposal when she could see that his shyness would always get in the way.

May I hope that you got the cues?

If not, let me be very clear:

• Follow his trick and use it in knowing about his love life.
• Ask him about his dating experiences in a direct way.
• Try to know about his future plans and what kind of a partner he dreams of settling with.
• Propose him if you are serious about giving it an official name.

#4 He will send more emojis than texts

Some guys feel perfectly in sync with emojis as the display of their characters and moods. So, their texts have less volume, and emojis are abundant. 

There are certain emotions at play while they chat with emojis. They can be nervous and awkwardly less confident that the texts can land them in uncomfortable situations. 

Some possible reasons why he takes the help of emojis to convey his emotions are listed here:

• Emoting through signs is less likely to create embarrassment than putting thoughts into words.
• Emojis do not take much to convey a harmless feeling.
• He might think that emoticons are more user-friendly to show that the person is a fun-loving guy or has a sense of humor, too.
• He doesn't have to bang his head to punch a smiley to reply and remark on certain subjects.
• It's a great way to avoid being direct by hitting humorous stickers in place of texts.
• It helps them to keep a neutral tone without getting under the skin of something.

And how are you supposed to add a witty rejoinder?

• Tell him that you really appreciate the way he keeps the conversation playful and funny.
• Make it a war of signs by sending back emojis in turn.
• Make it a jovial ritual as an interesting means to manifest that you are comfortable with this uniqueness.

Typical habits revealing his shyness through texts

Following the common pattern of the men who speak less and hardly feel like unfurling their buried selves because they are born shy, I have marked a few habits as typical ones.

The next part will give you a more precise concept of the texting practice adopted by introverted lads, especially for the ladies whom they grow fond of and try to woo.

#1 He will apologize for the smallest things

Social anxieties are visibly the key forces preventing shy fellows from being their original selves before others. For this reason, they are willing to involve themselves in something that doesn't call for physical presence.

When they engage in an online colloquy, they seem to be extra careful about what they say and how they say.

Since you can not see their reactions, you have to translate the virtual talks into probable facial expressions or gestures. 

People who are not expressive try to overcompensate their lack of participating skills by doing acts in surplus, especially when they are done through an abstract conversation.

What do they generally do? 

They grow a habit of apologizing for trivial things that they consider to be hugely decisive out of their nature to overanalyze a circumstance.

Shy guys apologize for being alive.

- Jane Austen

Jane Austen put the correct words to refer to the apologizing bent of shy men in a light tone of humor when she says that they are even sorry for existing to show their talent to seek forgiveness for doing nothing at all.

For example, they might repeatedly say sorry for the delay in giving replies. Or at times, when he expresses his concern over a personal crisis, he becomes over-cautious and asks for an apology. 

They are frequently embarrassed for the tiniest of stuff, like changing a plan or not being outspoken and lively like you. 

Some of the apologetic texts can be:

• 'I am so sorry I had to differ from your opinion on that issue.'
• 'Sorry that I cannot make it on the day you plan to go out for a movie.'
• 'I really want to apologize for not being as interesting as you.'
• 'I'm extremely sorry for overstepping my boundaries in enquiring about your family.'
• 'I seek an earnest apology for asking you to change your plans that were so convenient on the date.'

#2 He will wait for you to initiate a chat

We are all different in our ability to treat others. If a guy has shyness, it's only a part of the attributes he has been born with. This shyness is seen in the way he shares the textual interaction as well.

So, the bottom line is that a shy guy is too shy to take the first move in generating a casual or formal discussion with the girl he adores. It's not his ego that comes in between but the air of apprehension he usually feels.

Reddit stories have discussed a combination of examples where girls are heard talking about their texting habits with shy fellows who hardly initiate a communication line and want the other persons to start up.

He may be intimidated by the probability of rejection if his eagerness seems overenthusiasm to the person. 

It makes me state that shy guys are overthinkers about what might result from their actions. 

Maybe he, too, predicts that if he initiates a dialogue, he may appear to be clingy, or his hidden fantasies can be spotted by you. In some cases, he might have the fear that he will mess up once he strikes up a discourse by himself.

What you should do is to 

• Show him indirectly that you are interested and expect him to start the chats.
• Not create too much pressure on him to be the first one to text.
• Not get frustrated or upset by his withdrawal.
• Give him some time to get the assurance and confidence that it's fine to talk first.
• Break the ice every time he feels hesitant.

#3 His choice of words will speak for his shyness

A man who is introverted is a disaster in framing impressive words for his lady. He battles hard to scribble through the texts, with bad luck each time. 

You have possibly witnessed his messages to be a bit clumsy and lacking the lover's cohesion. In short, he is not an expert in choosing words that women fall for immediately when they see them.

It doesn't mean that he is dumb. He fumbles and stumbles on crafting sentences that are smartly crafted to turn you crazy. On the contrary, he roots for the appropriate phrases and most relevant bunch of vocabulary to sound quick-witted.

Whatever he manages to add to his stock of terms is often scanty, and in trying to put in extra attempts to present himself as a well-versed man, he ends up shortening his texts and reducing them into a small 'hello.' 

The next thing you might be wondering about maybe, 

'Is he going to change, or will he remain so diffident for the remaining days?'

Well, that's a difficult conclusion to make. Perhaps the growing intimacy between you would teach him to articulate his imagination and emotions in a better and more meaningful way.

Therefore, to hope is the only hope.

#4 Text messages will be his preference over private meetings

Most often, you have marked him putting stress on texting and running away from meeting you in person. That's a signature style of many introverted men due to their common apathy to face people.

The journal Computers in Human Behavior, published in 2010, revealed that the researches show shy guys choose text and instant messages to overcome loneliness and a sense of isolation in a social environment.

Is there a particular reason for this strange preference for virtual connection?

There is more than one reason, I better say.

• He is driven by a fear of acting flawless in front of people. On top of that, if it is someone as special as his favorite girl, he tries to distance himself, dreading the dismissal from her. 

• Text messages provide him with ample time and space to rearrange his thoughts retype them again and again. 

• In a private meet-up, he might have tremendous pressure to get socially accepted and judged. But faceless conversations privilege him to find a nice hide-out to conceal his nervous eyes or fidgety fingers.

• A shy guy is likely to opt for a meeting of minds rather than a meeting of faces.

Things that will show you that he is interested in you

When a shy guy starts to grow fond of you, he will be as vulnerable as any other guy in love. He might not be boisterous enough to show his interest, but his layered implicit deeds will divulge how much he is into you. 

Be it a text or his body language, you can't deny he is too cute in blushing red at your mention and reacting noticeably.

Yet, you might be confused to see the difference between the man texting you and the man meeting you. Worry not because this article will end with this section dealing with the clarification of uncertainty and your mental fog.

#1 He will be your dependable friend

We look for people who are ready to listen to us and love to call them friends. And your Mr.Shy guy is a gem of a friend when you need him to hear you out.

This is true that a guy with limited prowess to introduce his feelings to others gets emotional about the girl who is his 'princess charming'. He would be your genuine secret keeper with whom you can share your most confidential past and present.

If you notice him giving his best to make you laugh when you are upset with his innocent jokes or consistently prioritizing you over everything else, it's a sure thing that he is trying to make a pass at you.

Visiting online forums, I came across experiences through Quora discussions that shy men can go to any extent to do anything on their lady's terms, indicating that they have madly fallen for them.

There are life examples where a shy boy stands by his girlfriend when everyone seems to turn their back on her. It is a typical feature of a man with his unspoken feelings for you to become a dependable friend of yours at the most trying times.

Let me put it through exemplary signs:

• He will go out of his way to spend time with you through his small talk and make himself always available for you. 

• In response to your message asking for his time and presence, he would be ready to give his eye teeth.

• He will postpone other important events to make himself free to talk to you.

• He will lend you his loving hand when you will need a true well-wisher.

#2 He will be subtle yet simple in complimenting you

Complimenting one's mate is a remarkable part of a romantic journey. We all do that, more or less. But the most important thing here is that he will be an ever-lasting admirer of you with his controlled way of adoration.

The ordinary guy will catch your attention with his extraordinary power to become honest and sweet in making comments on your specialties. They won't be showy or pompous hymns of appreciation but composed and thoughtful chants of admiration.

True to their nature, the note of compliments will be subtle yet simple. He cannot resist himself from speaking highly of your beauty or qualities that demand validation, but that will be different from others. 

Since they are not adept with their emotional exhibition, when they try to make appreciative remarks, it will be so fine-drawn and delicate that you can't help feeling impressed and intrigued.

Do you want me to share a few of them?

Look and think if they sound familiar.

• 'You are truly a gifted orator. People should come and learn from you.'

• 'The other day, I saw you with a red dress, and I forgot to tell you the color suited you so well.'

• 'Never stop smiling because your smile is real sunshine.'

• 'Has anyone told you that with this outfit, you look like a goddess?'

• 'You know what, your kindness is infectious.'

• 'The jewelry set was eye-catching only when you wore it.' 

#3 Your tiniest details will be remembered by him

Lovers have extraordinary memories.

Haven't you heard of it?

They will get sick of trying to memorize data, numbers, theories, and medicines, yet they won't fail you in remembering the faintest incident related to you.

The creator has devised an exclusive cell in the lovers' head for storing every freaking detail of their beloved.

Shyness, this time, won't make a big difference because the taciturn fellow will be an abiding learner of how fantastically one can recollect everything that centers around you. He won't skip a date, a venue, a person mentioned by you, even during a casual talk.

You might be blown out to see his special attention to keeping and recalling insignificant information uttered by you.

Some instances are cited below:

• He would send you small and meaningful gifts on an occasion you might have referred to him a long time ago.
• He may surprise you with a book by your favorite author that came out randomly during the course of a past conversation.
• He will remember the names and cuisines of food that you enjoy.
• Your dreams, your ambitions, and your wild fantasies will never slip off his mind. 
• You may be surprised to hear him bringing up a past incident that is known to very few people and acting sensitive toward it.

#4 You can sense his nervousness on being asked personal questions

Nervousness is a dominant feature among shy people. They get easily in control of unnecessary trepidation of occurrences that are of no huge magnitude, which is why they stay away from running into people and communicating.

And here we all get edgy in front of our special girls. Their very presence makes our nerves shake, and our hearts beat faster. 

In the case of a shy man, you should be familiar with a similar situation where he is seen to be all over the place the minute he is asked about his personal life. 

Even during the unseen conversation, you can sense this tension when you suddenly ask him about his romantic life, his private moments, his heartbreaks, or someone he is emotionally attached to.

Since he may be one of those guys who have never broached matters related to their life to anyone else, you can figure out how dramatically he will try to deviate you with other topics when you start wanting to know about him.

He will either start fiddling with words or distract your attention by talking about irrelevant things. This could result from the kind of private life he has been leading so far, where he has never been comfortable sharing his details with anyone.

Being asked by his girl about something intimate about himself can take him off the cuff, and his tone will be filled with shakiness in the blink of an eye. You can mark the difference between his former and latter conversation pretty well.

His restlessness will come from the extra consciousness to hide his inner desires from you. 

Camouflaging his true feelings for you becomes harder in the hours he is to answer about his dream girl or passionate side of life, and that too before the one who is herself the answer to her questions.

#5 There will be specific times of the textual conversation

The start of a romantic courtship grows out of a habit that gradually becomes a daily custom between lovers. Whether it is a phone call or a texting spree, there will always be a specific time to pursue that, when it's more than a platonic friendship.

A man who you are sure won't initiate a discussion can be such a perfectionist in waiting for your silently decided hour of virtual assignation. 

You may find it contradictory to hear that a man who hesitates to start a chat is waiting for the same. 

Yes, believe me or not, he does. And he proves that with a prompt way, he replies to you after your very first message gets delivered to him. Not only that, don't skip this part that it happens every day without fail.

A few more things he might do to add to your right prognosis:

• You might know that he is texting you during a tightly scheduled busy hour at his workplace or a social gathering.

• He will never miss your message at your mutual hour of exchanging emotions.

• The first thing he does after coming out of bed or the last thing he does before going to bed might be texting you with good morning or good night wishes.

• Sometimes, he would mention that he was waiting for your lovely words to appear on the screen.

#6 He will be silent on hearing about other guys

The side effects of jealousy are always palpable, and so are the signs. Only the way of expression is distinguishable among individuals.

A demure young man doesn't shout or react with verbal annoyance. He gives you a silent treatment that is to be felt thoroughly. 

Take these hints at the times when you start making references to other guys, and he suddenly falls silent and stops messaging or replying. 

His sulking mood will be sensed through his retreating demeanor to be verbally active with you. He might take longer than usual to re-text or may end the discussion altogether on an abrupt note.

Suppose you specified an occasion where you met somebody who is physically attractive with an appealing disposition. You talk about him showering your obsession with his magic spell on you or your soft spot for him. 

The next moment, his responses will be delayed or stop coming, or he may tell you that something important has come up and he has to rush up.

It will be repeated again when you discuss one of your male colleagues or friends, showing your special regard for them. 

Make a note that he will be unusually retiring about sharing his opinion or encouraging your feelings on them. Instead, he will show a strange indifference to this particular subject.

Tips

• You can begin with a breezy tone of conversation and make him take it further.

• Your encouragement and compliments would motivate him into opening up. If he knows his motives are rewarded and acknowledged, he will be pumped up to go the extra mile.

• Bantering around him is an excellent way to get him into the game. He may be caught blushing and getting equally humorous with your playful teasing.

• Ask questions that wouldn't end with a yes or no answer but will require more details and insights into his private life.

• Don't push him into much pressure to talk about things he might be feeling a little uneasy about.

• Act patiently with him and understand his reservations.

• Let him feel comfortable being himself and expressing shyness as a natural human trait.

• Observe how he reciprocates and engages in a chat when you share your personal information with him.