Top 10 benefits of stuttering

Keeping with Stutter Social's vision of connecting people who stutter from around the world and seeing them empowered, Thursday night's Google+ Hangout featured a discussion about the benefits of stuttering.

Participants created a list of 10 benefits and opportunities that stuttering brings.

1. It makes us compassionate.

One participant suggested in the Hangout that having a stutter makes us humble and gives us a sense of empathy for other people and their issues.

2. It allows us to meet others from around the world.

Another participant highlighted that, if he hadn't stuttered, he wouldn't have had the opportunity to meet so many inspiring people from around the world and share experiences with them.

3. It lets us overcome challenges.

In other words, having a stutter makes us overcome obstacles and challenges that even fluent people may be afraid of doing, such as public speaking.

4. It makes you dedicated to improving yourself.

Not to say that stuttering needs improving, but being someone who stutters provides us with a sense of persistence and dedication to being the best person that we can be.

5. It makes us memorable.

Let's face it - people usually remember who we are due to the fact we stutter. It's an interesting, exciting trait to have.

6. Stuttering makes us consider what's important to us.

It teaches us how to prioritize and achieve our goals, which, for one participant, includes practicing breathing, working on his physique and improving his life in general.

7. As people who stutter, learning how to deal with problems makes us feel more liberated.

Similarly, as another participant suggested, learning how to achieve the goals that we set out and deal with any issues can provide us with feelings of liberation.

8. Stuttering gives us a sense of discipline.

For another participant, stuttering has made him more disciplined. "I wouldn't be as disciplined to work towards my goals if I didn't stutter," he said. 

9. Stuttering has opened up career paths.

Another participant has said he wouldn't have pursued a rewarding career in speech-language pathology if he wasn't a person who stutters. 

10. Stuttering has taught us how to value effective communication.

Last but not least, a participant also highlighted that stuttering teaches us how to get our message across effectively.

Do you think there are any benefits to stuttering? Are there opportunities you feel you would have missed out on if you didn't stutter? Please feel free to share your thoughts below.