It might be better to hear the same advice unpacked by someone who has been through this as a teen. 'Everyone's the same' I think most introverts assume that, b

It might be better to hear the same advice unpacked by someone who has been through this as a teen. 'Everyone's the same' I think most introverts assume that, but at a more cognitive level . However, these calm, analytical thoughts are swamped by a lot of frantic, emotional unthinking reaction when the moment arrives. Don't beat yourself up even more for not remembering what you knew. These are two different parts of the brain taking charge at different moments. You can use your excessive analytical abilities to aid you. As I grew older the introspective part got directed outward in an attempted analysis of people around me. I don't think I am good at it, but it is endlessly fascinating and also helps in gradually arriving at the realization that we are all faced with the same situations and potential embarrassment. We may not all be the same, but the situations we face often are. Shyness may be due to a lot of different things. In my case, I realized it was a fear and an intense dislike for failure. A lot of early achievers who have been praised for their effortlessly great performances probably have the same roots for shyness. It really is a fear that you are caught out and found to be mediocre, or just like everyone else around you. This comes from internalizing the idea that your worth somehow depends on people's evaluation. Well, that is true up to a certain extent, but again one slip-up rarely ever brands you as a wannabe. The next time you feel your anxieties rapidly welling up, ask yourself what the worst could be. And the objective answer ,unless you are in hand-to-hand combat or being cornered in a dark alley, is it is not remotely as bad as your fears make it out to be. Most fears often resolve to a single question that you have already answered for yourself in the negative. Don't trust you theories, trust empiricism. You'll never know for sure until you have tried. A bit of subterfuge might help too; when paralyzed by fear, allow yourself to gloat that you are the only one even attempting what no around is daring to.