Friendly faces

I find that when I get out and walk about town that most people seem to be have a hostile and unfriendly air to them. Don't know if this perception of the world is a symptom of social anxiety or maybe folks are just angry nowadays. It's rather depressing constantly meeting cold, unfriendly faces, discourages one from putting in the effort to start a conversation, which is hard enough as it is having SA. Over time this percieved hostility is one of many reasons I've gone into a shell whenever I go out there and as a result I don't even make much eye contact and hardly talk to anyone new. Anybody have a similar experience?

good post. When I am in public I look down a lot of the time, if I do have to be chatty I am extra sweet b/c I am anxious. Or I don't talk at all depends...

I think if you smile though, people do smile back at you. I like to try that on occasion be really smiley gets me in a good mood sometimes. But not overly so...anyway it does seem to throw of the grumpy looks I think I am getting LoL

nothing i hate more than when somebody says "smile" to you.

True, some people just seem angry at the world and everything in it. No need to talk to those kind. I think It had a big effect on my SA,Constantly hostile people will just drag you down and reinforce your problems. We all have bad days,But some people are just nasty.

Thankfully there are some Really great people out there also.

The hostility bit is explained by some sociologists in this way:
In the city is a lot of people. In order to get things done, you cannot interact with everybody around you, so you close down and get on with what you are busy doing. For someone trying to get involved in the society, it seems as if everybody is stand offish, but for most people it is just a defence mechanism to protect themselves.

I have these experiences sometimes too. I think it's mostly the SA causing it though. I know when I'm really paranoid and anxious, I feel like everyone is just looking down on me, and I expect everyone I talk to is going to be rude. Unfortunately you do come across those types, but there are also people out there who are super nice.

mountaingirl said:

nothing i hate more than when somebody says "smile" to you.

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^ Ugh, I hate this too, especially when I'm feeling down. Only makes me feel worse.

mountaingirl said:

...nothing i hate more than when somebody says "smile" to you.

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You mean like... this?

YouTube - ‪Curb Your Enthusiasm - Smile!‬‏

hahaha!! Yes. Thanks great clip!

Deus_Ex_Lemur said:

You mean like... this?

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^ Ha! That's great.... Maybe I'll try that sometime, see if anyone gets the hint.

Thanks for the replies. Yeah I guess alot of folks are pretty decent once you get talking to them. Problem is i'm still at the constantly paranoid and anxious stage of life. I tend to assume the worst and the slightest hostility, real or imagined, puts me off big time. A simple facial expression will do it, I guess I'm abit too sensitive right now.

I struggle to work up the courage to smile at strangers Mountain Girl but I'll give a try sometime. It doesn't help being a foreigner in a country like I am either. I don't know what people around me are saying half the time and this had led to a sense of alienation. You're left in this negative world of your own to basically drift along.

Plus I've been struggling with Social Anxiety for so long now that I've lost my touch (if I ever had any) in simple conversation and when a decent person does try to strike up a conversation I often find myself at a loss for words. So it's frustrating, a part of you hates being cut off from everyone and yearns for interaction and yet when it does come... YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY!