Signing you in

Saif also spoke about his father’s quiet nature in social situations and how it often stood out during gatherings. “At home, he rarely spoke about achievements. He rarely spoke about anything. My mother would be exasperated at dinners and gatherings, where people who knew less than him would be giving their opinions. He would say, ‘No one asked me,’ but he wouldn’t speak because no one had asked him. It was a very different brand of confidence,” he shared.

Reflecting further on his father’s influence, Saif added, “He believed in belief, instilling self-belief in Indian players who had never before been told they could dominate world cricket. At a time when Indian teams were expected merely to participate, he insisted they compete to win. That massive change in mindset, I think, was one of his greatest contributions.” He also noted that his father may have been “slightly embarrassed” by the attention but “quietly pleased” that discussions remained centred around cricket, ideas and the future.

In many Indian families, Raj states, especially older ones, love was rarely spoken out loud. Care showed up as responsibility. Picking you up at midnight. Sitting silently beside you during a difficult time. Remembering what you need without asking. Families need to look at emotional consistency, not just words. Silence can feel rejecting, but it can also feel deeply reassuring.

Low self-esteem carries a different energy. You usually see self-doubt underneath the silence. Raj explains, “The person hesitates constantly, second-guesses themselves, apologises too much, or avoids visibility because they fear judgment. Quiet confidence is not about being silent. It is about not needing constant validation to feel secure.”

Children absorb emotional behaviour all the time. A parent who stays calm during stress teaches a child how to hold themselves together during difficult moments. That kind of modelling quietly shapes emotional maturity.