Shy but making an effort?

Question

Is it obvious if a person is struggling with shyness but making an effort to open up? How can you tell?

Answer 1

I picture someone who's shy but trying to open up as havign a skittishness to them. They may approach very cautiously and almost apologetically, and smile nervously. A nervous smile is when it is delivered in a jittery fashion and is not consistent with the emotion in the eyes (the eyes show anxiety). The person may speak softly or studder a bit, and will just come across as being uncomfortable. Someone who is not shy will speak to you without a second thought. Just boom- "Hey, how're you doing?" with a solid resonance in the voice and an unequivocal facial expression, no hesitance. The body language of a shy person is also evident... an uncomfortalbeness like they don't know what to do with themselves. They may hem and haw back and forth or approach with blatant hesitance, they may wring their hands or fidget. A person without anxiety will have no evidence of nervousness in their stance and will move very purposefully and fluidly. They will stand comfortably and shift around only seldomly, or as necessary. They don't look like they're struggling with every word and every motion. Shy people may also show other more subtle signs of anxiety, like flushing of the face, dilated pupils, sweating, throat-clearing, slight trembling, protrusion of veins in the temple, struggling to maintain consistent eye contact, etc.

Non-shy people know that they are socially acceptable people and know that what they have to say is of value and that people should want to talk to them. If someone rejects an advance from someone who's not shy, "it's their loss." A shy person will internalize a sense of failure, and as such they approach a social interaction like a neurotypical person might approach a job interview or an audition. Often the root of shyness is a fear of rejection couples with a lack of confidence in their social desirability. They fear that people won't like them, and their fear will be transmitted and may cause people to feel uncomfortable talking to them, thus affirming their fears. It can be a vicious cycle and often requires therapy. I would encourage therapy over medication, since the roots are psychological; medication only treats the physiological symptoms and may preclude addressing the real underlying issues involved.

Answer 2

The more shy the person is, the more obvious it will be.

Not giving eye contact. Asking questions more than giving opinions or sharing some infomation. Appears to be searching for something to talk about in his head.

The most apparent sign is that there will be an atmosphere of awkwardness somewhere.

Answer 3

ya..you can always tell teh shy from the loud and out going a person who is shy and trying to make an effort to open up might try and make more eye contact or talk to people they don't usually talk to...the observant person can always tell these things..so it depends on if you're observant or not.

Answer 4

^ Wow I totally know what you mean..I'm usually really shy like that.
The person might also seem extra bubbly, like they're trying to cover up the shyness lol

Answer 5

You might actually notice a tightness in their voice, they'll be searching for things to talk about and won't openly talk about themselves. Won't give their opinion, would rather know your opinion first. They'll be nervous.

A person who is shy and trying to open up is really facing a fear and we should go easy on them, it must be very difficult.

Answer 6

Go to see a psychologist