But I don’t call it fear; I’m just overly shy. I might never have posted on this board if there hadn’t been this outsider hauling inaccurate accusations around to explain why they didn’t like the PPC, so I just had to step forward to show another outsiders view, before I made a proper introductory post.

Also, I don’t think of it as crippling. Over the years, I persuaded myself that I like to be the nerd in the ivory tower, and that I don’t want lots of friends or to be considered a valuable member of a community (and then the PPC happened). That’s probably not an advisable way to follow, although it worked for me, with lots of luck.

Fortunately, I don’t have that nightmare. I don’t care whether I’m remembered and recognized. (But then, why do I use the same name all over the internet, unless the site insists that I can’t have a space in my name, and it’s too many letters anyway?)

My greatest fear is that I unintentionally say something that offends people I want to like me. Not talking in my native tongue here doesn’t help with that. So, far too often I prefer to say nothing at all. Which probably causes that people do not know me well enough to actually like me. Yeah, I’m aware of my shortcomings; I’m working on them since nineteen-fiftythree.

HG

I have some problems with anxiety -- not in those exact circumstances, but the general topic is familiar to me.