Why are we Shy?
Great article entitled Why we are shy? over at TimeOnline.co.uk discussing why some children are more prone to being shy than others.
They found that Israeli children are the most confident, they can easily be among a crowd of strangers with no issues of stress or awkwardness. Japanese and Taiwanese kids, however, it is the exact opposite.
Shyness is thought to affect up to 50 per cent of adults to some degree, and is defined by the Encyclopedia of Mental Health as “discomfort and/or inhibition in interpersonal situations . . . It is a form of excessive self-focus.” Being introverted is not the same as being shy. Introverts are not scared by the prospect of socializing, but prefer being on their own.
But shyness is not a clear-cut case of genetic determinism. Numerous studies show that tending budding wallflowers in the right way can lead them to turn towards the sun and blossom. Inhibited youngsters are much less likely to turn into anxious adults if they are brought up by confident parents than by anxious ones.
Near the end of Dr Tanya Byron’s article, she lays out 10 steps to overcoming shyness via the Shyness Research Institute.