The forum is temporarily in read-only mode. You can read every thread, but new posts and registrations are paused for now. Leave a message on the Nostalgia wall · More information

Do people avoid you because of your S.A.

Started by PhillyFlyersGrl · Feb 15, 2011 · 25 replies

#21 Report
No. People don't and never did avoid. I was avoiding them.
#22 Report
PhillyFlyersGrl said: ↑
Do you guys ever get the feeling like say at work or when your around people that certain people avoid you or they talk to you for a few sec and then seem to run away because they sense your nervous and therefore it makes them nervous, or you give them a vibe that you don't want to be bothered. I don't know about you but I don't want to make people feel uncomfortable or feel like they can't just be themseleves around me.

“The shy man does have some slight revenge upon society for the torture it inflicts upon him. He is able, to a certain extent, to communicate his misery. He frightens other people as much as they frighten him. He acts like a damper upon the whole room, and the most jovial spirits become, in his presence, depressed and nervous.”-Jerome K. Jerome

I used to think it was weird that I made other people nervous, but now I have figured out that it is normal to make people nervous if you are shy. Like Jerome says, we can make anyone nervous.

As for advice, i know this may be kind of tough, but do what you can to stop caring about making other people nervous. It's not like you are choosing to make these people nervous. I can't remember any time that I actually was trying to make people nervous by being quiet. Guess what? If they get nervous just because you are being quiet then that's their problem. You have a right to be shy, just like they have the right to be outgoing. Anyone who thinks that you aren't allowed to be shy around them has some issues themselves. This planet is meant for all human beings to inhabit it, not just the outgoing people. It's not like you're being a loud, obnoxious jerk which is what some outgoing people are like. Being loud and obnoxious is far worse than being shy imo.
#23 Report
GoBlue72 said: ↑
Not sure. I think about half the threads I've replied to die after my posts, though. So, maybe people are avoiding me.🙄

I was certain that I was the new thread killer here. 😉

As far as I know people don't avoid me. In fact, I would say most try hard, and annoyingly at times, to engage me in conversation. I'm kinda a conversation killer in real life, too.

JamesSmith said: ↑
Being loud and obnoxious is far worse than being shy imo.

Hells to the yes! Talking and conversations are great and all, but not every silence must be filled with noise.
#24 Report
There are certain people that avoid me for my SA.
#25 Report
We're more likely projecting our own desire to avoid onto others. People are sociable. They'd rather do that, even with an awkward person, than sit at their desk facing palpable silence.
#26 Report
JamesSmith said: ↑
“The shy man does have some slight revenge upon society for the torture it inflicts upon him. He is able, to a certain extent, to communicate his misery. He frightens other people as much as they frighten him. He acts like a damper upon the whole room, and the most jovial spirits become, in his presence, depressed and nervous.”-Jerome K. Jerome

I used to think it was weird that I made other people nervous, but now I have figured out that it is normal to make people nervous if you are shy. Like Jerome says, we can make anyone nervous.

As for advice, i know this may be kind of tough, but do what you can to stop caring about making other people nervous. It's not like you are choosing to make these people nervous. I can't remember any time that I actually was trying to make people nervous by being quiet. Guess what? If they get nervous just because you are being quiet then that's their problem. You have a right to be shy, just like they have the right to be outgoing. Anyone who thinks that you aren't allowed to be shy around them has some issues themselves. This planet is meant for all human beings to inhabit it, not just the outgoing people. It's not like you're being a loud, obnoxious jerk which is what some outgoing people are like. Being loud and obnoxious is far worse than being shy imo.


Amen to that! You have a good point about me having a right to be shy as they have a right to be outgoing and its their problem how they react to you, your right, its your own responsibility to how you react and respond, no one can make you "act a certain way".
Your right, I'm not choosing to make them nervous.

‹ Back to Social Anxiety Forum