Are there any benefits to Social Anxiety?

[gsmax5]

I am trying very hard to get rid of my fear of Socialization. But I actually think some good things have come out of being a lonely pansy. Here are some of them:

1. 
   A heightened sense of empathy towards others.
   I am insanely better at making accurate predictions (for example in mystery movies/novels and in chess)
   I have more time to myself to do work
   I know a bunch of random facts from cruising the Internet
   Knowing some really great porn sites (Just kidding)

Again, Social Phobia is a bad thing, but still, some good things came out of my solitude.

 

[worrywort]

yea, I think good can come out of anything....even the worst things in life.... and I think there's a lot of good that can come from social anxiety.

it humbles you
I think it makes you less arrogant, and more understanding of other people and how fragile people can be.

it makes you stronger
The kinds of fears we face on a daily basis, are the kind most people would only have to face on rare occasions. For us, every day is a job interview, or a first date, or a court trial.

it makes you more introspective
I think there are great treasures to be found by looking within yourself and exploring your own mind and soul. I think people with SA can often become experts on the internal, far more than most people.

I should mention one other thing though, which is that while many benefits may be found for having Social Anxiety, I think it's important to never let these things become reasons to hold onto your fears. I know this is a complicated issue that I struggle with, but I think sometimes it's easy for us to look for reasons not to cure our social anxiety. We feel safer if we can find a way to avoid facing our fears, so we make excuses to justify ourselves. For me I've always felt that my social anxiety is very important for my art. If I were to lose my social anxiety, I'd lose a big chunk of my personality. A big chunk of who I truly am. and a big chunk of my motivation for making art.....SA also sometimes makes me feel special, like a lot of my heroes in the art world who also had social problems....plus I think I sometimes perversly like the feeling of self pity that comes after a particularly socially anxious evening.

these are all my reasons for hanging onto my fears....and they can be hard to overcome.

 

[peacegrrl]

I should mention one other thing though, which is that while many benefits may be found for having Social Anxiety, I think it's important to never let these things become reasons to hold onto your fears. I know this is a complicated issue that I struggle with, but I think sometimes it's easy for us to look for reasons not to cure our social anxiety. We feel safer if we can find a way to avoid facing our fears, so we make excuses to justify ourselves. For me I've always felt that my social anxiety is very important for my art. If I were to lose my social anxiety, I'd lose a big chunk of my personality. A big chunk of who I truly am. and a big chunk of my motivation for making art.....

I've read articles about socially anxious kids losing their artistic talent after undergoing treatment. Can this actually happen to older people as well?

I mean, if you're one of those kids the "creative" part of you will probably just be a phase instead of a personality trait. Assuming you've actually been using that talent throughout your life, as an adult, shouldn't it be so deeply set in your character already that it won't go away even if you become completely socially comfortable?

I don't know, that's what I'm hoping at least...

Also I do agree that it makes you humble and compassionate. In this respect I'd hate to think what I'd be like otherwise.

 

[worrywort]

I've read articles about socially anxious kids losing their artistic talent after undergoing treatment.

reeeaaally?! That's very interesting....I mean, in my heart of hearts I really don't want to believe that this world is such that you have to have psychological problems to create great art. But sometimes it really seems that way. I see it in other artists and I see it in myself too.

[sorry if I'm straying too far off topic gsmax5...but I'm really intrigued by this!]

I did something a bit extreme last year....I quit everything!!!.....I quit my job, I quit church, I quit virtually all my activities except for my art and became a total hermit.....I did this because I felt like my soul had been crying out to me to do it for ages but I'd ignored and surpressed it thinking it was a wrong desire to have.....but the thing is, ever since then my creative juices have been flowing so much better....there's definitely been a marked improvement.

So I have concluded that isolation and solitude, for me personally, are vital for creativity....but the one thing I'm not quite yet willing to conclude, is that social anxiety is vital for creativity. I'm hoping there's a way I can overcome my social fears, but still retain for myself a large chunk of private space to be alone......although, saying that, those nights when I've come back from a particularly socially anxious evening, and I'm feeling those feelings of confusion and self pity [if they are infact the right names for whatever it is I actually feel?!], it's often those times that my creativity reaches its peak......why? I'm not sure......maybe it's the particular combination of motivation and heavy feelings and self pity and lonliness that spark me to create something.

but that can't be true can it? cause if it is, then it would make sense for me to actually go out looking for trouble.....looking for socially anxious situations where I can embarrass myself...hoping people will be mean to me and tease me....so that it'll fuel my art. Is this really how it works? I don't think I'm willing to conclude that just yet. I'm still hoping there's a better source of motivation and inspiration out there.

hmm.....anyway, excuse the rant!

 

[bleach]

None whatsoever

 

[Uix]

I think for me it's helped me become a much nicer and open minded person. I've thought too deeply about everything though. I think a lot of narrow minded/arrogant people don't do enough serious thinking. Overall it's causes more problems though

 

[Ehsan]

ok, sp has some benefits too
when i first tried medication it helped me to control my anxiety but i lost many of my lovely and delicate feelings.
now i feel shallow, superficial and lightheaded
i lost understanding, love, sympathy...

i loved something about sp

 

[mariecherrie]

It is not ever wrong to see the "silver lining" in a situation, however, I really don't think much good can come from knowing benefits of SA if your reasons are only to feel comforted that you aren't wasting your life, when really you know you arent happy. I think God gives us thorns in our sides to pop our ego that is human nature to be inflated. No not everyone has this, and it ma seem unfair, but think that you were picked OUT not picked on for having this disposition. Does that mean we should settle and accept suffering when it is un-needed? Certainly not, part of life is working towards goals and through struggles. If its not SA, its something else. So whatever you do, keep looking for silver linings, but NEVER, never, never give up!

 

[Ubersonic]

It keeps STDs away

 

[Nack]

I would trade my artistic talent to being able to communicate properly any day! Communication is the #1 thing that makes human being able to live this long!

 

[Errordotocx]

- I'm much more open to listening to problems that my friends have when they need to talk.
- I also am able to easily sense empathy of others.
- I'm the nicest person anyone has ever know...too nice "I" believe.
- I am so relaxed and chill that I get along with everyone and everyone gets along with me.
- Independent (for the most part)
- Knowing some really great porn sites (Not kidding)