Your experience is similar to many others here who are shy, including myself. I guess it could be a combination of everything you mentioned.

i have learned that animals are the most loyal friends ever. u can tell them all ur problems, and even though they dont know what u are saying, they have a special way of understaning. they wont tell anyone ur secrets, and they will never turn their back on u. they also cheer u up when u are down.

i didn't really have any other kids to play with growing up so i got lonely and i got used to being lonely i guess

i don't know. i didn't really have anything in common with anyone i knew, wasn't close to family and didn't live near other kids. plus my mom was overprotective.

For me I think it is because I was born woth a birth defect. Even though my parents kept invovled in as many things as they could there are just something you can't do from a wheel chair. I also believe because I was in the chair were afraid to be close to me. I remember this one time we were having dance at school 9for one of our classes and this boy was going to have push me so I could participate. I was so excited because usually I had sit and watch. the next day he said he could not do it because his folks said they did not want to. It was right them I started feeling like I was not worth much and I started getting really shy

I think it's party genetic and partly environmental. I grew up spending lots of time alone because my parents were always working. They didn't let me go over to friend's houses either. As a result, I'm kind of socially awkward and feel nervous talking to certain people sometimes.

I think for me it is mostly heriditary. My mom is shy and so is my dad and his parents were shy. Also, I was raised by a emotionally abusive stepdad and that did not help at all. He made me feel so insecure and bad about myself so I learned to say nothing and I tried to be invisible. I had 2 sisters and a brother and my mom ran a 24 hr. daycare so I was around lots of kids. It did not help me socially. I still felt lonely.

I guess I grew up with "children should be seen and not heard" theory. I always took things so literal as a child..don't know why just did. my sister use to say I was a mistake and life would of been better with out me. so I guess I stayed quite so I wouldn't cause trouble and no one would notice me. that way I wouldn't be an inconvenience to anyone. also my sister said people didn't like me and thought I was stupid. don't know why I believed her, but I have always felt self-conscience. no I don't blame my sister, she was just being a sister!

Bingo! Yeah, I had similar experiences and feelings. That why I vote choice #3. I think people have natural inclinations, but experience seems to be a definite factor.
It was embarrassed that my family emphasized other things as being important, things that were different than what seemed to be important to my peers at school. Values... who I was allowed to be friends with, how I was allowed to dress, stuff like that; it was al really hard to rationalize and explain to other kids.

I believe it's my personality trait!
My mom is also insecure and that may of had an effect on me. She was extremely shy too in her younger dys but out grew it!

I'm shy because I was rejected by my primary caregiver--my mother. Because she rejected me, I have a really hard time forming relationships or dealing with people because I fear the same thing will happen. I have a lot of anxiety in social situations and it causes me to lose sleep. I wish I could get over this problem.

Ive no idea why im shy. Ive always been alittle 'different' maybe i was just scared to show people that?

Shamedtot, i was reject affection from my mother as well. I think this has been kinda like therapy for us to acknowledge why we are shy.

Why do you think, that everyone or every situation is going to be like it was when you were a kid? Why do we relate everyone to be the same way...everyone is different with different personalities and there are even others out there that are shy and loney just like us. What is the worst that can happen if we reach out? Rejection? Maybe but most likely not. The chances are greater of making friends than not. Then there is the fact that not everyone clicks as 'best friends' You have to weed out the ones that don't work and keep trying. so what do you think? What benefits would it be to reach out; and what are the cons of reaching out?

Hey Dixie,
You asked about reaching out and what are the pros and cons. You mentioned you were rejected by your mother as well. Maybe we should be friends. Will you reject me? Or will you accept me?

:) I will certainly accept you dear.