How much do you show your vulnerabilities?

In the list of topsy-turvy things in the world, I put the conundrum of vulnerability fairly high up. Perversely, it seems like it takes strength to show your vulnerabilities, and hiding them indicates weakness. How can this be? Don’t we want to appear as strong as possible so no one will mess with us? Don’t we look down at people who display their vulnerabilities; see them as weak and incompetent?

When I was applying for my current job, which required serious statistical knowledge, I told them, right off the bat, that that was a major weakness. But I was willing to learn. One of my interviewers said, “at least he’s honest,” in a very approving tone of voice. The fact that I had little statistical knowledge was a weakness, but the disclosure of the fact was seen as a strength of another kind—honesty.

Can vulnerability be strength? Do you tend to show your vulnerabilities or do you hide them? Why? What do you think of other people who show their vulnerabilities? What are the consequences in various kinds of relationships of showing vulnerabilities or not?