How to get over shyness: 1) Take up some kind of partner dancing as a hobby eg. salsa, swing, etc. It doesn't matter as long as it looks like fun. This will

How to get over shyness: 1) Take up some kind of partner dancing as a hobby eg. salsa, swing, etc. It doesn't matter as long as it looks like fun. This will force you to connect with people and push your comfort limits. 2) Start going to social dances after you know a few moves. Usually the class teacher will be able to tell you where you can dance socially. This will get you in the habit of asking women for dances. 3) To make friends, you need to invite people to do things away from the place you know them from. So if you meet someone you seem to get along with, say something like "Hey, I'm thinking of going to see this movie this weekend. You interested?" Since you've been asking women to dance, this should be much easier by this time. And don't think you won't meet programmers dancing. I once asked my teacher once why so many of the regular guy dancers were programmers or accountants. She said that it wasn't just limited to my city but all over the world, programmers and accountants make up a disproportionate amount of the male dancers.