--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We had not liked each other much at…" description: "\"“We had not liked each other much at first. He mistook my shyness for arrogance and I failed to see that his arrogance masked his shyness.”\" — Michael ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35a/michael-nava-35812_quote_we-had-not-liked-each-other-much-at-firs_1681069.jpg" --- # We had not liked each other much at first. He mistook my… ![“We had not liked each other much at first. He mistook my shyness for arrogance and I failed to see that his arrogance masked his shyness.” quote by Michael Nava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35a/michael-nava-35812_quote_we-had-not-liked-each-other-much-at-firs_1681069.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35a/michael-nava-35812_quote_we-had-not-liked-each-other-much-at-firs_1681069.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35a/michael-nava-35812_quote_we-had-not-liked-each-other-much-at-firs_1681069.jpg) > ““We had not liked each other much at first. He mistook my shyness for arrogance and I failed to see that his arrogance masked his shyness.”” [Michael Nava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nava/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A misunderstanding arises when shyness is mistaken for arrogance, and vice versa, revealing hidden insecurities. **In simple terms:** People misread shyness as arrogance and the opposite. Key Takeaway Recognize and clarify assumptions about others. Themes misunderstanding personality communication Mood reflective empathetic Type observational interpersonal When to use this quote - first meetings - team building - conflict resolution Key Concepts social perception self-awareness Questions to Reflect On - How might you verify someone’s true disposition? - What signals could you look for to avoid misinterpretation? A Different Perspective Assumptions can persist despite evidence, leading to ongoing tension. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arrogance Failed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogance-failed-959032/) [Arrogance Masked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogance-masked-959031/) [Failed Arrogance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failed-arrogance-959033/) [Mistook Shyness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistook-shyness-959030/) [Shyness Arrogance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shyness-arrogance-317538/) ## Related quotes > [“People express their arrogance in their failed expectations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-luedke/people-express-their-arrogance-in-their-failed-expectations/) [Travis Luedke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-luedke/) > [“A mix of shyness and arrogance; he has been rejected before. Somehow that cheapens him, his hesitance makes her strong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lakambini-a-sitoy/a-mix-of-shyness-and-arrogance-he-has-been-rejected-before-somehow/) [Lakambini A. Sitoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lakambini-a-sitoy/) > [The two commonest mistakes in judgement ... are, the confounding of shyness with arrogance - a very common mistake indeed - and the not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-two-commonest-mistakes-in-judgement-are-the-confounding-of/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## More by Michael Nava > [“Her work was indeed elliptical, she left out everything that was essential, including logic and meaning. Her words neither described nor observed things. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nava/her-work-was-indeed-elliptical-she-left-out-everything-that-was/) [Michael Nava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nava/) > [“Is that why you do good deeds, Richie? To shorten your time in Purgatory?' 'Oh, honey,' he said, brushing lint from an orange sleeve.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nava/is-that-why-you-do-good-deeds-richie-to-shorten-your-time-in/) [Michael Nava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nava/) > [“Grief is half of justice," she said, and added, a moment later, "the other half is a hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nava/grief-is-half-of-justice-she-said-and-added-a-moment-later-the-other/) [Michael Nava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nava/) > [“And what right do you have to judge me? He was nothing to you but a drink." "No," I said. "I loved him." She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nava/and-what-right-do-you-have-to-judge-me-he-was-nothing-to-you-but-a/) [Michael Nava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nava/) > [“Only very young people believe that change is always for the better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nava/only-very-young-people-believe-that-change-is-always-for-the-better/) [Michael Nava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nava/) > [“Bad feelings have a life of their own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nava/bad-feelings-have-a-life-of-their-own/) [Michael Nava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nava/) > [“I'm sorry about today." "Do you want to talk about it?" "I was bored and lonely." "Some would call that the human condition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nava/i-m-sorry-about-today-do-you-want-to-talk-about-it-i-was-bored-and/) [Michael Nava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nava/) > [“You know, Henry, we're the only people who get born into the enemy camp. I mean, black babies get born into black families, Jewish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nava/you-know-henry-we-re-the-only-people-who-get-born-into-the-enemy-camp/) [Michael Nava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nava/) > [“People are basically screwed-up and often the best you can do for them is listen, hear the worst and then tell it's not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nava/people-are-basically-screwed-up-and-often-the-best-you-can-do-for/) [Michael Nava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nava/) > [“La petite mort - that's what the French called orgasm. They believed that semen is sort of concentrated blood so that each time a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nava/la-petite-mort-that-s-what-the-french-called-orgasm-they-believed/) [Michael Nava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nava/) > [“She's a good poet but a very neurotic woman." "Don't the two go together?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nava/she-s-a-good-poet-but-a-very-neurotic-woman-don-t-the-two-go-together/) [Michael Nava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nava/) > [“What I remembered most clearly from my first sex with another man was the unexpected tenderness. It disturbed me - disoriented me. I guess.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nava/what-i-remembered-most-clearly-from-my-first-sex-with-another-man-was/) [Michael Nava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nava/) [Explore all 13 Michael Nava quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nava/) ## More Shyness Arrogance quotes > [“A mix of shyness and arrogance; he has been rejected before. Somehow that cheapens him, his hesitance makes her strong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lakambini-a-sitoy/a-mix-of-shyness-and-arrogance-he-has-been-rejected-before-somehow/) [Lakambini A. Sitoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lakambini-a-sitoy/) > [The two commonest mistakes in judgement ... are, the confounding of shyness with arrogance - a very common mistake indeed - and the not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-two-commonest-mistakes-in-judgement-are-the-confounding-of/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) [Browse all 3 Shyness Arrogance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shyness-arrogance-317538/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We had not liked each other much at first. 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