Weird. The
other topic disappeared! I will repost what I typed:
I grew up on the Internet; so adapting to offline societies took a long time. I really did not have any in-person human interaction between 4th grade and college. I also lived in caucasian communities in Texas and Georgia; so coming by someone that would even talk to me as an equal was difficult (I am biologically Chinese but raised completely as an American).
It took until my 3rd year in college to actually be comfortable in the offline society. Actually, it was directly after being rejected by a female friend I was quite infatuated with. I think after that, I realized that I really did not have much to be worried about. Rejection isn't bad. It only lets you know where you need to improve.
I started my unshying process by cleaning up my look. I shaved. Bought casual clothes. I tried several styles I never would have before and came up with a new one for myself. This new style I imposed upon myself actually affected me from the outside in (in a positive way).
I am able to speak to people now, but I still have several problems. My biggest problem is not being able to look people in the eye when I am talking to them.
