We all have hidden talents. We all possess abilities that others wouldn’t expect of us. Nobody is ever going to know everything we can do or know everything that we are. As such, there are times when people don’t expect much from us. It’s not malicious or nasty, they just don’t know. Yes, there are certain people you meet who will look down on you and that can be incredibly irksome. The idea of a person thinking less of you than you are may sound like it is a bad thing but I think that often it can be a good thing, you can use it to your advantage.
Firstly, think about it, whenever you surprise someone with just how capable you are, doesn’t that feel incredible? When you do something that they didn’t know you can do, their reaction can be priceless. Being hidden in plain sight is a wonderful thing.
It’s one of the fantastic things I love about superheroes. Yes, if you take off Clark Kent’s glasses he looks kinda like Superman but really? The slightly clumsy, mild-mannered Clark Kent is the bold, heroic Superman? Surely Spider-Man could never be that nerd Peter Parker? Walking around and going into every situation knowing you are Superman or Spider-Man is pretty cool. Okay, yes they are fictional but Susan Boyle isn’t. It is the same thing.
Being unassuming can be your greatest superpower. There is power to be had when people underestimate you. They lower their guard, they ease up and this can be amazing for you. When someone really isn’t expecting much and you deliver the goods, when you do the last thing they expect, it surprises them. That surprise impresses them even more and makes you stick out in their mind even more.
I’m not saying you want to aim to have people not think very much of you. Don’t go around talking yourself down. Hopefully when you meet people they will be respectful, treat you as an equal and won’t be condescending. But just know that if you are underestimated, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.