Are you shy?

Well I used to be very much shy when I was younger. And I tell you, its not such a great feeling. Because I have to face a lot due to my shy behavior. People used to take advantage of me just because I was shy. Often I was made fun in school by other students and this whole feeling was really disgusting. I dont used to like myself being that much shy. So as I grow up I tried to break that bubble around me slowly, because I started realizing that it would be a real disadvantage for me ahead. So I started opening up myself and slowly I kind of changed my shy behavior. I took a lot of time, a lot of self motivation but finally I think I have done it. Now I am not that much shy and i can answer back all those who used to take advantage of me. But as shyness is a personality so still I have a part of me that is shy but it is no more a disadvantage for me. I have kinda tamed it. So according to me there is nothing wrong in being shy but you should be careful that your shyness should not become an obstacle in your growth and never let it become your weakness. Thanks for this discussion. Take care :)

I was shy most of my life. About 10 years ago, that all changed. I solved my self esteem problem and am no longer shy. I can tell you that being shy kept me from taking advantage of many many opportunities. I hated it. I was always afraid to speak up and when you are in a business career as I was, being able to converse with senior management is a must if you want to work your way up the ladder. I would encourage you to break out of it. You will find many more opportunities will come your way if you are more outgoing. Best of luck

I have never really been shy. I think it is probably because my mom was never shy. She would always talk to people every where we went so I kind of learned to do the same. Not to mention I did a lot of singing, dancing, and acting in teen years and early 20's and it is vry hard to to be shy when doing those types of things. My daughter is a bit on the shy side and I told her she should join the speach team, because those who can speak in public will usually do well in life. If you don't like being shy maybe you should make small daily changes to get over the shyness, like starting out just smiling at people as you pass by, then maybe start saying hello to people as you pass by, the just start talking more from there. Challenge your self to strike up conversations with people. It will be hard at first but if you do it enough you will start to be more comfortable around people.

i'm a shy person too... each time when i meet new friend, i'd listen rather than talk. i am a kind of person who only will talk to you if you ask me a question. Most of the time, i'd not be a 1st person who step out to voice up in each of the conversation with my friends. i think because of less of confident and made me shyness. However, i have tried my self to be a confident person by active my self in some sports like badminton, swimming, jogging etc but its doesnt works to increase my level of confident. so sad....

I'm shy too, i don't talk to much, most of the time i'm listening what other people says, people says that now i'm not like before, that now i talk more, i think that if it is true is because of my wife.

I'm a really shy person. Its great if you want to be away from people. The more you isolate with shyness the harder it gets to be social. Its a good thing if you want to avoid conversation. I like being shy sometimes but theres times when it get frustrating. When not being able to carry conversation of interest. Maybe I don't get out too much. Either shyness is a hard thing to overcome.

I am a very shy person with people who I don't know. When I know the people, I can be really confident around them and loud and boistorus. As soon as I know that I am friends with a person, and know that they see me in a positive light, I don't feel as though I need to tread carefully to impress them anymore, so I tend to be a lot louder and more of myself around them.

YEs when i was young i bit shy and anti social, i guess my upbring is am alone all time.Sitting alone reading books novel newspaper alone in the house,shops and such.Even go cinema alone,McD and KFC eat alone and such.I guess this is made me independent.Only starting go out with friends in school activies and such, but remind silent only speak when spoken to. Being shy and choosing to listen more then speaking is different.I guess different society has it different upbring.I think in Asia naturally people are thought not to question unlike in Western country to right express one's belief and thoughts is more normal.

I have never been shy at all as I am usually a take charge person. It does not mean that at times I do not sense a tad of fear. I do use a few quick tactics that allow me to recall that shyness will not get me where I want to be. Being shy is a personal trait as one that some people at times never overcome.

Yes, I'm very shy like you. And is very frustrating to me to be unable to speak in public or just to a group of friends. It always has been a great obstacle to me, from the school, where everyone is talking and making friend while I was standing on the corner, to today when I want to get a date and don't do it just because of the fear of being rejected. This really hold me back, I hate this and want to be "cured" or at least to have normal relationship with someone.

Lore, I'm in your shoe. I am very quiet person and alway stammer when I talk to a person directly. Due to my shyness, I always shaking and sweating everytime I depend my self or talk infront of the class. I already understood how being shy is a hyndrance to get what I wanted. As of now I am still struggling to over come my shyness. It feels good to be confident and I really wish I am.

oops ^ last comment was to you.. But seriously, everyone tells me I was hilarious and stuff like that, but now I'm incredibly shy and I hate going through this phase with people.

I dont know if Im shy but I know Im the quite type so I dont say much but I do make a lot of noise making music like playing my guitar, drums and there always loud music coming from my room haha but I know Im shy when it comes to taking to girls

I consider myself to be extremely shy in person. What i mean by in person, just like now over the internet i can talk all day long but face to face it's really hard for me. Even at work i've heard people talking about how strange i was behind my back. They called me things like a "Hermit" i supposed that is someone who can't or doesn't talk i don't really know. It affects me everywhere i go where i have to be sociable. I feel so different than other people and i rarely come across people that are like me. I don't have any real close friends because the people i do get to know are so outgoing and they want me to act or be just like them so i withdraw myself. I don't really like being this way particularly, because i think i have missed out on a lot of things in life that i really wanted to do. I have even quit jobs because the anxiety of working in a large organization really overwhelmed me. I was out of work for a year because i spent most of my time looking for work that required working alone. Luckily my boss liked me and my work ethic so much she called and practically begged me to come back to work. So im just dealing with it the best i know how, bills have to be payed. But i don't know why society acts as if shy people are not human. We are just who we are.

This is why I enjoy mylot so much, it allows me to be me without feeling shy. I am protected here in this virtual world.

I was shy before but not anymore. I remember being all quiet and they thought if i have a problem or something. But now i've change, i dont know when but suddenly i had the courage to speak up and say what i want well it put me in to a lot of trouble lol. I sometimes think if its alright for me to change. Well i guess it is.

I was very shy as a child. I din't grow out of this until high school. An english speech class pulled me out of this. Now I am very outgoing and few people believe that I was ever that shy and introverted child.

Yes, I'm the shy type kind of person. People always see me as the quiet one. I really am quiet but when I get close to a person, then I become talkative. I can be myself and just say or do things I want. I also just like to be the listener than the one who's talking. I hate giving speeches or just reading something in front of many people.

After reading the book Emotional Intelligence, I learned that timidity is really due to brain chemistry. Apparently, timid people (like myself) have brains that are very sensitive to adrenalin. Every time there is a stressful or unfamiliar situation, a timid person will experience a surge of adrenalin that will trigger increase brain activity and there is an increase in the heart rate which is normally experienced only when we are afraid. I think it's essential that every timid or shy person should know about this physiological connection between timidity and adrenalin. I only learned about this years after graduating from college. It would have been better if I had known about it when I was younger because that would have given me the capability of dealing with or overcoming my own timidity. I still have the condition, but I can handle it better because I can take appropriate actions to control my reactions.

well, i'm a shy person as well although it may be quite different online since people can't see my face ^_^. but there are some instances when the people i meet online actually live on the same area and when i just hear 'we could meet' or the possibility of meeting makes me nervous just by the thought of it. maybe shyness can be cured if not all at least there's an improvement. to me, it was entering college. it's hard making new friends and i guess if you have the will to approach people or say 'hi' to them that would be a major step. finding similarities also helps in being comfortable with others. now i can say i've improved a little, before i when people want me to dance or something i always say no but now... with the right people and a time for adjustment i can slowly socialize with others. i still have a hard time being really sociable with others without help though