Is it still hidden? I can imagine some responses here so nothing crude! I remember seeing a BBC News segment recently on someone (I can't find it) who was an artist and kept all his paintings locked away for many years, he was a father in his 40s. No-one in his family knew about it as he didn't think it was good enough or he was simply shy to show what he'd done, until one day he just came out with it all to the surprise of his parents and family. Now his garage is his own art room with some impressive pieces. I have often thought about the idea of working away incredibly hard on something without telling anyone until suddenly it's out there, blows people away and no-one had a clue what you were up to. Like sitting down on a piano in public and playing incredible tunes while your company just look at you in shock.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Have you ever kept a hidden talent?
- Thread starter Newlove
- Start date
hydrophilic attack
Member
i'm secretly the GOAT gaffer
unfortunately I can't be arsed to make an effort so i settle for shitposting and bad jokes
unfortunately I can't be arsed to make an effort so i settle for shitposting and bad jokes
SliceSabre
Banned
When I was younger I kept my talent for knitting and sewing secret because I believed other guys would think me 'weak' if they found out and had such a 'girly' talent.
Kind of. I produce music, but knowing that the average person is probably not into the weird electronic shit I write, I don't really publicize it to anyone who's not already involved in my particular scenes. Even then, I don't really post the vast majority of the music I write, so it won't usually get heard by anyone apart from myself and a handful of other people unless I happen to drop it in a DJ set.
sixteen-bit
Member
Kinda hard to hide ur talents when u have none 
Earthbound64
Banned
Yes - my large penis and ability to last for over an hour at sex.
Still mostly hidden.
Still mostly hidden.
Evo Shandor
Member
I'm secretly pretty good at doing vocal impressions of several cartoon character and a few actors. I will only do it at a party, once I've had a few drinks, and just drop it in the middle of a conversation with people I've never done it for. I find people who do that stuff all the time to be incredibly obnoxious so I keep it on the downlow.
You have a good point, it is hard to know if no-one tells you. Poetry is a hard one without others reading it. Depending on the talent, sometimes you can just use your own initiative to decide its up to a decent level or not. Although those bad singers on talent shows...not them.
Col WillieSharp
Member
Since I was a little boy, I was able to cure other folks' hiccups just by thinking about it. My relatives would call me on the phone, and I'd fix them up over the line. Occasionally, if the person had the 'cups real bad, I'd have to lay my hands on them. I guess it's more powerful like that. The only reason it's a secret is that my dad thought that the world wasn't ready to deal with someone so powerful. That the government would want to use me.
I guess he was proving to me the importance of keeping a secret when he didn't let me cure his hiccups and he hiccuped to death, in a tornado.
I guess he was proving to me the importance of keeping a secret when he didn't let me cure his hiccups and he hiccuped to death, in a tornado.
Wandering Robot
Member
I don't usually tell anyone about my talents, and even the one(s?) people do know about doesn't get put on blast by me much. I tend to be on the private side.
Switch Back 9
a lot of my threads involve me fucking up somehow. Perhaps I'm a moron?
I don't even have un-hidden talents
hydrophilic attack
Member
you should reveal the fruits of your talent on gaf
it certainly aint hidden to me or a lot of others here though!
old
Member
I have a great auditory memory. I can remember exact details of conversations we had 15 years ago. Or any conversation within earshot. I have hyper vigilance. I'm fully aware of my surroundings and hear everything even if I want to shut it all out.
I've learned to play it close because most people get creeped out by it. Creeped out when I recount them telling me something a decade ago. Super creeped out if it was something they told the person next to me and not me directly.
As stupid as it sounds. As the years go on while I can remember the content of the conversation i begin to forget if it was said to me or to someone near me. So I know Sarah's birthday is Feb 22. But I can't remember if she told me directly or not. Thus I act like I don't know even though I do.
I've learned to play it close because most people get creeped out by it. Creeped out when I recount them telling me something a decade ago. Super creeped out if it was something they told the person next to me and not me directly.
As stupid as it sounds. As the years go on while I can remember the content of the conversation i begin to forget if it was said to me or to someone near me. So I know Sarah's birthday is Feb 22. But I can't remember if she told me directly or not. Thus I act like I don't know even though I do.
8BitsAtATime
Member
I jerk off a lot but I dont tell anyone about it because that would be weird
storafötter
Member
Subpar Scrub
Banned
I am secretly the notorious cyber-net-computer-hacker known as FOURCHAN, but nobody knows.
I am very open so I think most people know what I can and cannot do, but my best friend likes privacy. He never boasts about working in a top japanese university as a prof, or creating nice songs at home, or being a good kickboxer. He just wants people to take him as is when you meet him. He hates fake people or chit chat, so he hides most of his true self. He is very confident and a people person but only friends know what he truly is. Random encounters he has with people end up with people misjudging him.
Lately I understand why he hides so much of himself so I've started to do that a bit too. It's nice to surprise people.
Lately I understand why he hides so much of himself so I've started to do that a bit too. It's nice to surprise people.
damn, aka chanchanchanchan?
I'm extremely introverted and avoid unnecessary conversation, so I've been told by many people that they were really surprised when they realised I'm actually very eloquent. One guy apparently even thought I was mute or had some speaking deficiency.
In the same vein, almost nobody knows I'm able to speak English quite fluently and with hardly any hint of an accent. I held a presentation in English for the first time a few weeks ago and there were some very surprised faces.
In the same vein, almost nobody knows I'm able to speak English quite fluently and with hardly any hint of an accent. I held a presentation in English for the first time a few weeks ago and there were some very surprised faces.
WinterIsComing
Member
I have amazing farts (sound and smell), but i usually keep them to myself.
Hierophant
Banned
I have a knack for remembering faces, someone from like five years ago is easy for me, even for people I have like a passing glance at, its really quite odd considering I fuckin suck at remembering names. That's why its v. awks when I say hi and we both do the dance of pretending we know each others names
dragonchild
Banned
I dunno about "hidden". Talents no one cares about, plenty. Not sure if that even counts as talent.
WhateverItTakes
Banned
Yeah. Like even when I tell people I write fanfic, they don't care full stop, or even if they care about the thing I'm basing it on, they still don't care. It's half the reason I want to make something original, so I can get some validation from real life people. Little sad, but considering it's not getting written anyway it's all irrelevant.
zswordsman
Member
Subpar Scrub
Banned
DoomGyver
Member
Now that's a Gaffers response if I've ever read one.
Baron Doggystyle von Woof
Member
Writing.
I get a lot of good feedback the few people I show it but I don't want to publish it (as of now).
I get a lot of good feedback the few people I show it but I don't want to publish it (as of now).
Westbahnhof
Banned
I have a stopped telling people that one of my hobbies is lockpicking.
sooperkool
Member
I learned to juggle to impress my kids, occasionally I'll find 3 objects and start to juggle them and people are usually entertained for a minute. The best times are when someone else can also juggle and we manage a few passes.
acheron_xl
Member
Depends on who I'm hiding my talents from and why. Not everyone needs to know that I make custom Magic sets, for example. It's a talent that stays largely hidden to most people, because they couldn't care less.
DieNgamers
Member
Secretly learned playing guitar during my teen years and revealed it to my friends after 4 years, haha. I don't even know why. Felt good, though.
Through all of my formative years I was obsessed with hip hop. I used to download instrumentals and dissect their production, then I'd freestyle alone in my basement like a total weirdo. In my late teens / early 20s I'd do it around friends and a handful of times at parties but I usually just did it in my car alone because I'm so painfully white.
Everyone said I was pretty good. Not rap mega star good, but good.
I dunno.
Everyone said I was pretty good. Not rap mega star good, but good.
I dunno.