I agree with ECHOES that this was an excellent post.

I suppose I thought that if I shared my ideas, thoughts, feelings... people would think/know I was less as I already knew I was less. (Childhood ridicule...within the family facilitated that.)

I found that when I joined a group for some time I was amazed at the vulnerabilities of different people and the empathy and insight we could all provide each other. I was so tickled and validated. I can not say that enough. In that regard I found in time what you found in that sharing more there was more to learn and therefore more to share... increasing what there was. :-)

You are so right...

Thank you for putting it in to words and sharing here.