"Fear of failure" oversimplifies it, I think. As an anecdotal example, the other day, I was at a rock climbing gym and saw an extremely attractive girl climbin

"Fear of failure" oversimplifies it, I think. As an anecdotal example, the other day, I was at a rock climbing gym and saw an extremely attractive girl climbing. I didn't approach her, because 1) I was new there, unfamiliar with the social mores, and didn't want to earn an undesirable reputation 2) She was with a group of friends, any one of which she could've been involved with--and, indeed, did embrace one of the guys about an hour later 3) She was intent on what she was doing; I wasn't at my most impressive; I'd likely have a repeated chance, and a failed intial approach would negatively bias later chances 4) Likely other more or less subconscious, more or less rational reasons as well.