If you do that, that is your choice. But that means you are placing your power of speech into a strangers hands and allowing them to lock it away. Fuck what people say or think about you just because you have a stutter. Don’t give them that much power. We’ve all felt like this and probably do in those moments when you just can’t get the word out, but don’t back down. Be bold and let them know you have a stutter prior to getting into a full blown conversation if you have to. As a stutterer you have a daily duty to literally speak up for yourself. Try to accept your stutter and live with it, but do not let it control your livelihood. Stuttering is one part of who you are. Not the whole person. Dive into life and see what you can find joy in and follow that feeling. Because if the negative effects of stuttering is all your feeding into your life then you’ll always be upset. - from someone who thought just like this but overcame allowing other people to internally dictate how I feel about myself & stutter.