On the topic of selective mutism, some dumdums who write the articles on it often leave important aspects of it out with regards to the mutism carrying on into adulthood. After childhood, it can be outgrown or adapted to be of benefit in adulthood, its not always about “anxiety” of speaking in mixed company. It can be about:
Maybe I’m Zen and just want to listen.
or
IDGAF about what these boring people are talking about, yawn.
or
Related to the previous reason, I can tune the surrounding hen-cackling world out to pure silence to attend to the brilliant ideas circulating in my head instead.
or
My voice is not shrill enough to be heard above the cacophony of noise in this place and it hurts to speak in a higher register.
or
If I say what I really want to say, everyone will react like I’ve come for their firstborn.
or
I’m being demure and there’s a man in the room I wanna seduce with just my eyes.
or
I just don’t have anything of real value to add to the conversation.
