A real lesson

I'm not very good at expressing my feelings. Well, that's not entirely true. I have no problem at all letting people know about my frustrations or opinions, but when it comes to real, heart-felt emotions, I tend to keep those bottled up inside.
I think that the real problem that I've had in the past with this is that people who I really care about don't know that I care about them, and they sometimes just assume that I hate them.
Over the last year or so, I think I've gotten a little bit better at this. Here's one thing that I've learned during the process: When you do vocalize your appreciation for someone, it amplifies it. That doesn't just apply to when you tell the person, but anyone. Like if I admit to my roommates that I like a girl, suddenly I start liking her more.
I'm not really sure if this is a good side-effect or not. Was I better off back when I wasn't even trying? I don't think you can be disappointed if you don't have any feelings.