How protective of yourself are you?

I am open and honest.
I do however limit how close of a friend I consider you to be--more than likely most people would consider me their close friend but I would not put them in that same category. I have very few people that I consider close. Only one or two on this forum would I consider to be "friends" but that doesn't mean I don't feel "friendly" towards everyone else. It is just the way I am. If you get within the wall surrounding the moat and past the guns, I am very loyal, until that time, not very invested. This is probably the strongest I am at protecting myself.

Physically I prefer people give me space. Not huggy and don't appreciate being hugged by people I don't see as close. I can get rather irritated if I feel crowded. Hell, I even get bugged if people tailgate me.
 
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Sonyab said:
Physically I prefer people give me space. Not huggy and don't appreciate being hugged by people I don't see as close. I can get rather irritated if I feel crowded. Hell, I even get bugged if people tailgate me.
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I know exactly what you mean and I feel the same way.
 
Enneagram instincts may be of interest to you Res. As a self preservational type I'm unbelievably protective of myself, a sx (or even so dom) would likely be more open.
 
Protective in terms of physically and emotionally? Both would be the same/linked for me

I'd probably have to say, extremely :P

The only people who i'm open (not protective) to are my good/best friends, of which there are 3. Everyone else just gets my non-emotional or semi-open self (depending if they're a friend). I'm not really (even?) close to family, for the usual childhood reasons...
 
I am protective of myself and i used to think this was a negative aspect but it isn't. I felt guilty because somehow, it seemed to suggest i wasn't comfortable with myself, and i found that's not true. Rather, it indicates, at least for me, that i don't want who i am to be taken lightly or demeaned, so i will do what i can to protect myself from those who would disrespect it. People are very deceptive, so it's not a mystery why many are reluctant to open up and let themselves be known. I remember that the times i would open up to people, they didn't really understand or dismissed what they saw in hurtful ways. So, i decided from then on to keep myself separate. People want to believe they know who someone is from the persona they project, not realizing it's just that - a persona. That persona, many of us use to show respect and honor for ourselves so that those who would abuse it won't get far enough behind the wall to do any major damage. And we have that right.
 
The more I know the world the more I become protective of myself. I guess at the age of 80 I will be totally protected.
 
Being protective of ourselves is sometimes a defense mechanism to prevent us from getting hurt.
 
I wouldn't say that I'm all that protective of myself, emotionally or physically, at least not when meeting new people. I'm more protective of my emotional being as a relationship progresses, as I've invested more into our connection.

I am an open book, and there isn't much I won't talk about if you ask me about it, no matter how personal the question is. But as I develop a closer bond with a person, I begin to fear that they'll leave me because I've told them certain things about myself. Sometimes I'm purposely try pushing them out of my life because I can't stand the thought of them not caring enough to stay by my side. That's my defense mechanism -- to test how much those closest to me care, and risk our relationship in the process. If they stay, there is no limit to my love. :)
 
I'm extremely protective of myself, people should earn the right to that knowledge, otherwise I'm content to keep to myself.....I say nothing about my past, my future, or anything personal about me unless I know that the person is one I love, and is to be trusted otherwise, I simply talk about most conventional topics, and make a "normal" day to day facade just to keep the necessary amount of oil on the proverbial "cogs" working between myself and colleagues. If a person asks too much information I'll stay very broad, and will be dispassionate in communication or just say that's a "sore subject for me"....I believe in my right to protect myself, and exercise it REGULARLY. :)

I trust virtually no one, and I'm not ashamed or bothered to say so; luckily for me, I'm not an extroverted person, or I might suffer because of this.....I just don't think it's smart either logically, or emotionally to do so, but I still have hopes for the world at large even if I can't express these passions, and dreams to the average person, and NO I'm not egotistical by any means, I don't think my dreams or passions make me at all superior, (better men have had them as well, Ghandi, MLK, etc) perhaps a little too sensitive, too intense, and passionate, therefore a little to vulnerable, and susceptible to attacks from others....which would make me a rather offensive person myself; I'll fight to the bitter end for my ideals; to the END, I won't tolerate any type of attack which is why I'd rather keep it to myself.....besides it's best to keep these things under wraps until others NEED to know, and until an opportunity is made to put my plan into action, there's no need to include others; I consider myself a "rogue agent" and so operate infrequently with others; I don't hate others, but co-operating with others can be rather difficult, I enjoy the idea of working with others, but productivity is usually of highest priority to me, and others have (in my experience) been a bit of a hindrance to that end....
 
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I'm awfully protective... and conscious of it. But somehow, I have this secret wish (that's pretty big) for someone daring and all-too-knowing to come to me, and kiss all those layers off of me. My heart would probably thaw instantly, and It'd be pulsing like the day it was born.
 
I've never thought of it as protective necessarily, but I suppose I am.

I can be very detached from my relationships with people, in fact it is generally my default state. A person has to be pretty special to get me past that point.

I'm sure this is a defense mechanism.
 
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