Recently, a casual friend and I were having a discussion about jobs. I made mention that lots of companies want someone in my role who is really aggressive in terms of working style. She came back with "I wonder if you chose the right career, because you're not tough". Maybe in her mind tough == aggressive, but I think she meant it in the classical sense of "strong enough to withstand pressure".

I didn't really chat further with her about it but hearing what she said kind of stung. For me, I consider myself able to withstand harsh environments and I trudge on through adversity. The way I do it though, is quietly and with careful measure. For that reason, I believe that I'm being perceived as someone who is soft and therefore weak by people who casually know me.

Does anyone else ever feel this internal reality vs perception gap in their lives?