Topic: Does Anyone have Trouble With Shyness?

At my job I have to work on talking to customers, to most people that may seem like an easy task but to me I feel like I'd rather jump out an airplane without a parachute (no, I do not want to jump out an airplane) than talk to some one I don't know.
I wanted to know if anyone else has this problem, and how you deal with it and get the courage to talk. If you don't have this problem please state why you find it easy and if you have tips for people who just can't do it.
(Please don't tease people who have trouble speaking to other people.)

I actually suffer from "No Life". This causes me to not talk to ANYONE, stay indoors all day, everyday, and fail to make a living. I only speak using my computer.

I'm guessing a few people that are regularly on this site aren't the best socializers.

I don't really have a shyness problem. I'm just as straight forward in real life as people say I am online.

Yeah, I'm pretty shy. I don't really talk to any people in my life.

Not shyness per say. Mainly verbal communication annoys me with 99.9% of the people I meet.

same with me unfortunately. _{that rhymed!}
Also Super Peach, someone in my class once told me that "I didn't have anything to prove to him and he didn't have anything to prove to me", so basically from that I realized that I shouldn't worry about making a fool of myself, because we are all human and we all make mistakes and from those mistakes we grow.
_{though actually taking that advice is a lot harder than it seems X|}

I do but, I love to socialize.....Still trying to get over it.

When I'm in shy mode, sometimes I'm a a bit random and a tad hyperative.....For some reasom I remind my friends of Osaka from Azu Manga Daioh.

I always thought I was shy growing up but now I realize that I just hate people, lol.

I always had a problem being shy. I am 19 and male, and in american society, this causes quite a problem for me. Most guys my age are loud, obnoxious, and frankly, rude. Since I always thought it was idiotic to be like that, I never was. But everyone gets used to guys being like that, and when I am quiet, they all think something is wrong. I am just a quiet guy until I get to know someone. If I am at a party, I am quiet. If I am at a party with my close friends, I am not loud and obnoxious, but I defiantly talk and do things that I wouldn't with anyone else

I was kinda nerdy or geeky while I was a teenager, so I used to be quiet and shy too. That has kinda changed as I've become an adult. I think it pretty much comes down to confidence. I was not a very confident person growing up and I was afraid that if I spoke up, people would judge me or that I would sound stupid, so I only talked when I needed to. In the end, that only served to make me less likely to say anything. Over the years though, I've just learned to speak my mind and to be myself and not worry about how I appear to others. Actually, working in retail and getting used to speaking to strangers has helped me a lot. It is also a lot easier to speak to people that have similar interests to you, like gaming. It still gets me sometimes though, whenever I'm in front of a group of 10 or more people, it doesn't matter how well I know them, speaking becomes really hard, I try not to be self conscious, but its just really tough to do. People have tried to help me with it, but practice makes perfect and I don't get much practice in doing so. Group speaking rules will probably help you too, I don't remember them all, but for speeches, practice and know what you're talking about, find one person to focus on at a time and speak to them, get your audience involved and unfortunately, that's all I remember.

@SuperPeach: Approaching people is tough, but if you feel what you have to say is truly of value to them, it'll be easy, try and find something you may have in common with them and try to speak about that or ask them how they're doing, before you know it, you'll be fine. Practice makes perfect, just get out there, even if you hate it at first, you get to clock out and come home to post with us on Nintendo Life at the end of the day. lol

I used to be really shy too, but since I got older I overcame that bu I still have a problem with talking to people I don't know and that's because I NEVER know what to talk about !!! It's really frustrating because then people start thinking I'm not interested in them but it's just what should i say ?!? Once I get a conversation rollin' I'm alright though

But hey it's not easy overcoming shyness, all I can say really is just put yourself out there and yeah you are bound to make a fool out of yourself once or twice but remembering you will remeber that longer than others will

A problem? How about "chronic disorder"

It's almost like Bob Saget (Terra) and I are the same person. Never coulda told you had Aspergers dude (compared to a few others I've seen online with it.

Im the same person online as I am offline. I will tell exactly what I think to anyone's face. I literally can't stand the punks that do all the trash talking online, when if it was face to face would turn and run.

Just talk to people, who gives a flip what they think. You get One life to live so live it to its fullest. I don't make fun or look differently at anyone Ever. You can walk up to me with a obvious physical deformation and would get the same reaction as anyone else. Maybe a hand to help out if needed would be the Only difference. I have a rare disorder myself, but most that know. Don't even know cause I could care less about it, take my meds and continue working and playing as hard as I can.

Have fun. Talk to people if you want. Say what you want. Do what you want. It's Your life so live it. Best advice I can give, as I was much like you many years ago.

Early teens I was also a bit shy, but at some point I realised a couple of things:

"you don't ask, you don't get" and "everybody's human" so they're not (necessarily) going to kill you because you talk to them. Mostly it's about being comfortable in your own skin without being a j-hole.

I have geeky interests and I'm cool with that now. There was a time when I wouldn't have advertised being a Star Trek fan, but now, you know I have a Star Trek phone sock, I wear t-shirts, I have little plastic ships on my bookshelf, whatever. It's about recognising you might be lame, but being okay with it - being able to laugh at yourself helps A LOT!

I can agree with everything Sean said. Except I don't have a Star Trek phone sock. Nevertheless, "Live long and prosper!"

I'm pretty similar to how I am online. If anything I'm a bit to verbose at times for my own good .

Anyways, I was much more shy when I was a teenager. I think shyness is def. something you grow out of to a certain extent for most people, judging by those I know. One thing to keep in mind is about 90% of the time, the other person's not actually listening to anything you're saying. Out of the 10% who are listening, about 90% of those don't really care, they're just trying to be polite until they can say what they want to say. So don't worry about making a fool out of yourself, on the off chance people notice, once you get out of high school, most people are comfortable enough with their weirdness to share it and appreciate the weirdness of others, since otherwise life would be pretty dull.

that's exactly like me. it's annoying how the loud, obnoxious guys get the atention of the girls. hence why I don't have a girlfriend yet

Being loud and obnoxious isn't essential. What I think most people find attractive is self-confidence (though not to the point of egomania, probably). Being sure of yourself is a bigger turn-on than being a jerk.

I'm very shy except at work when I have to work with people.