Signs of an Unwillingness to Be Vulnerable

There are many different ways to tell if someone is unwilling to be vulnerable. Some signs of an unwillingness to be vulnerable include body language changes and an absence of trust. Others might indicate that they don't feel confident enough to open up to someone. Whatever the case, the following are signs of an unwillingness to be vulnerable. Identifying a friend or partner who is unwilling to be vulnerable can be easy. Read on to learn more about these signs.


Absence of trust
Rebuilding trust requires that you learn to be vulnerable. Humans are not wired to be vulnerable and, as such, don't like to be exposed to others. However, we are hardwired to be self-protective, which can have serious repercussions in relationships. Fortunately, there are ways to overcome this fear and build trust again. Here are some of the most common ways to build trust:

Fear of being vulnerable
What does this fear of being 'vulnerable' mean? To put it simply, it means that a person is afraid of being exposed to another person. Often times, fear of being 'vulnerable' results in people escalating their emotions more quickly than is necessary. If this fear is rooted in childhood abuse, then it's most likely to be a result of a childhood trauma.

Body language changes
As women, we have been socially programmed not to rock the boat. In contrast, men tend to be more confident and assertive. In fact, it is common for successful leaders to hide their emotions and appear self-controlled. Vulnerability, however, is detrimental to our leadership role and undermines our position as leaders. Consequently, we feel that comfort and courage are mutually exclusive. To change this, we must consider our own values.

Lack of commitment
There are many causes of an unwillingness to be committed. Understanding the root causes of commitment issues will help you overcome them. Depending on the source, your fear of commitment may be related to past experiences or personal views. For instance, you may be afraid of being vulnerable because of an experience in a previous relationship where you were rejected or made a mistake. Another common reason is that you are afraid of sacrificing too much of yourself to a partner, and you don't want to put yourself in a position where you'll be hurt.

Reaction to being vulnerable
There are different ways to react to being vulnerable. Depending on the circumstance, being vulnerable can either open doors to deeper connections or throw up walls that stifle growth. The definition of vulnerability is: "being exposed to the possibility of harm, whether physical or emotional."