Masking - Open

I've never been any good at masking, possibly side effect of home schooling. The only masking I really do is being silent in the corner or using very formal language.

Yes, I hold my tongue in groups of people I don't know until I think I have something useful to say.  People have said they thought me a tad formal and aloof until they got to know me - and found a totally different person underneath that.  I have no idea why they think I'm formal.  I'm not purposefully trying to be.

Yes, I hold my tongue in groups of people I don't know until I think I have something useful to say.  People have said they thought me a tad formal and aloof until they got to know me - and found a totally different person underneath that.  I have no idea why they think I'm formal.  I'm not purposefully trying to be.

It's ironic one of the thing the civil service didn't like was me beginning all my emails 'dear sir' etc. Apparently my writing style was too formal for the civil service. ... what would sir Humphrey think.