I voted for quiet, because I am very shy myself, which embarresses me when I am hanging around people I don't know, especially girls. I am fairly shy to socialise :(

It's much better to be quiet or shy than to always run your mouth and never know when to shut up.

Unless you're one of those people who has zero self-esteem and is completely devoid of any and all social skills. That's worse.

Agreed, I'll deal with shy/quiet people over a loud mouthed egotistical moron who talks to make themselves feel better.

I think if you're shy, you're going to be quiet, you can be quiet and not shy. So in that case, quiet is better but I feel bad for shy people so I always try to go out of my way to talk to them hoping to make them feel more comfortable. Hopefully I don't scare them :p I used to be really shy myself and I still am in certain cases, and I can still be quiet (mostly if I'm bored.) People always tell me I'm quiet, usually if it's in a surrounding I'm not comfortable in and I'm bored out of my mind. But among friends and other nice, non-fake sociable people, I am much more open and chatty.

It's better to be quiet, because at least you still have the potential to be interesting if someone wants to engage you in conversation, and noone likes a loud-mouthed person. If you're shy, you'd be incapable of opening up even if you tried.

LOL. Quiet's all good. I've won the "Quietest" award all my four years at college in an organization I has a leadership position in. I guess I just follow the saying: "Actions speak louder than words." I'm known more for getting shit done, and taking care of a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff. Shy? Somewhat. I don't engage in much conversation. Generally, I just don't like talking: "it's not productive." I'd have to be really interested (or asked) to speak. Usually quiet, I'll explode once in a while. :p

I’m a quiet person, but I don’t consider myself to be shy whatsoever. I will share any information about myself to anyone listening and I’m not afraid to tell stories about my triumphs and failures. I often will say whatever’s on my mind at any given point of time. However, I’m quiet because, as much as I do share, I only share with a select group of people. If I don’t know you, I’ll often hang back and bite my tongue for a loooong time before I decide to spark up conversation. It depends on how comfortable I am in a situation. If I’m in an totally unfamiliar environment I am not afraid to introduce myself. However, if am in a farmiliar setting, then I’m often quiet, introverted, and lost in my own thoughts, until someone says something to me. I do consider myself to be an outgoing person. However, I’m usually content being alone.

I’m the quiet one in my group of friends. All the people I hang out with are loud, obnoxious, and rambunctious. I do prefer quiet girls over shy girls, though. To me, if you’re shy it means you’re afraid of people. Being quiet can be an attractive quality because it means that, at the very least, a person is thinking before they speak. You can have the “strong, silent type” but not a “strong, silent, and shy” type. They just don’t mix!

Hm... I personally think that once you get to know quiet people, they'll open up more. But, for shy people, it requires more... work to actually get them to start talking to you. But, for quiet people, if you're nice enough and stuff, it'll eventually go away. I'm shy, and I don't think I'll not be shy in the near future. And yes, shy people lack self-confidence. So yep, I voted for quiet. ^^

I voted shy myself, I think the potential for shy people to be "larger than life" to coin an old term is quite probable. Quiet people seem to be just, well, quiet!

I'm shy. Always was, probably always will be. I'm the type of person that'll just sit alone and read a book instead of talking to new people because I'm worried that if I say anything, I'll be ignored or shunned. But then again, I always think the worst will happen, so..

I never had a whole lot of friends, and I assume it's because of my shyness. I wish I could open up more, but it's easier said than done. :/

Believe me, I am quiet and about as confident as anyone could possibly get.
I don't see why an "outgoing" guy would be able to take care of a woman any better than a quiet guy, I see it as the exact opposite.

Loud guys usually strike me as small and trying to compensate for something, and your loud personality definitely isn't going to do crap for you when in a position where you have to protect someone on you own...
I, on the other hand, am 6'2", quiet, 100% assured of myself, not afraid of anyone or anything, and very eager to rise up to a challenge issued by anyone. (I don't care if it's a Mike Tyson lookalike or not)

And it's not just me, I feel the vast majority of big, strong, confident guys out there are the ones who don't feel they have to prove anything to anyone by being loud.

I am very outgoing, and usually am the one to strike up conversation, but at the same time, I am not a loud guy.

In terms of quiet versus shy, well, I had a shy girlfriend, but after about a month being with me, she was about as outgoing as me... So it must catch on....

I also was with a quiet girl, and find it frustrates me a little. Since I am a little outspoken sometimes (meaning I talk to much), when I try to tell her to say something, or talk about something, she refuses too... but at the same time, she enjoys hearing me talk...

Bascially, if I am with a shy girl, she will eventually become more outgoing, and if I am with a quiet girl, she should at the very least enjoy listening to me. Otherwise it probably wouldn't work out...