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BEING SHY

1 Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Liz Waid.

2 And I’m Colin Lowther. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier
3 for people to understand - no matter where in the world they live.

4 Susan Cain was a shy girl. She felt very uncomfortable in social situations. When she met
5 new people she felt her heart beat faster. Like many shy people, Susan did not want other
6 people looking at her. She liked to be quiet and watch other people.

7 But when she grew up Susan chose a surprising job. She became a lawyer. This is usually a
8 job for a bold person who likes to talk in front of people – not a shy person like Susan. But
9 Susan Cain thinks that her shyness made her a better lawyer. She told the news
10 organization NPR:

11 “At first I had the idea that I would be disadvantaged. You know, that a powerful lawyer had
12 to be very bold. But I quickly found that that was completely not true. There was a very
13 different group of skills that you could bring with you. These would also make you very
14 powerful. You know, like listening carefully to people and asking questions. And building
15 relationships with people. You are not so comfortable in groups? Fine, you can do it alone
16 with one other person. That can be much better.”

17 Susan Cain thinks that being shy can be good! She even wrote a book about being shy.
18 Today’s Spotlight is on being shy.

19 The Shyness Institute reports that almost half of all people say that they are shy. Social
20 scientists studied young adults in eight countries across the world. They found differences
21 between the countries. In Japan, 57% of people said that they were shy. The lowest number
22 of shy people was in Israel - only 31%. In most countries, about 40% of the population said
23 that they were shy.

24 There are many levels of shyness. For example, some people are not shy when they are
25 with their friends. But when they are in a new social situation, they become afraid.

26 For other people, shyness can be a mental problem. In social situations, they become so
27 worried that they cannot speak or act. This can stop people from performing well at work or
28 in society. Dr. Liza Gold of Georgetown University Medical Centre told the news organization
29 NPR about this serious shyness:

30 “It is a somewhat common problem. About 15% of the population have a mental condition of
31 extreme social fear. Some have a disorder that makes them very afraid around other people.
32 This is an extremely painful and limiting condition. It may interfere with how someone can
33 work and produce and live.”

34 But why are some people shy? Scientists say that it is because of two things: genetic
35 character and life experience.

36 Scientists at Harvard University in the United States did a study of two-month-old babies.
37 They saw that the babies behaved differently from one another. Of every five babies, one
38 was very active. This kind of baby was bold and liked to make noise. And one of every five

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39 babies was the opposite. This kind of baby was very quiet and sensitive. They did not like
40 loud noise or bright light. These sensitive babies were likely to be shy as older children.

41 Experience also affects shyness. Some people become shy because of what has happened
42 to them. For example, children who are overly criticized by their family can become shy. The
43 Shyness Institute says that children who are shy usually have parents that have fewer
44 friends and fewer family social activities.

45 But children with sensitive characters do not only have negative experiences. Good
46 experiences can help sensitive children become more bold. They can even grow up to be
47 adults who are not very shy.

48 Many cultures place a high value on being social. And people who are bold can be more
49 successful socially. Shy people may feel that they are not as good as social people. Shy
50 people may feel that they have a disadvantage in their social life and in their work.

51 But shyness can be an advantage. Many shy people have good characters and good skills.
52 Shy people are often very good at listening. They are good friends because they listen more
53 than they talk. Susan Cain is the shy woman who became a lawyer and writer. She explains
54 how researchers have even seen these good qualities in shy children:

55 “Children who are shy also show stronger consciences. They are much less likely to cheat or
56 lie - even when they think they cannot be caught. People form their consciences by being
57 sensitive to disapproval. A sensitive child is forming a strong conscience early on. Studies
58 show that these children are much more likely to show sympathy for others. This continues
59 all the way through life. So when you look at these children when they grow up they have
60 good characteristics like sympathy and honesty.”

61 But not all shy people are able to show these good characteristics. Professor Tony Kashdan
62 of George Mason University explains to NPR:

63 “Some people with extreme shyness might have these good morals. They may be
64 sympathetic or giving or thankful. But we find that these skills are often unused. The reason
65 is that very shy people are so self-focused. They are very worried about making a mistake.
66 They are so focused on whether someone else can see their fear. This makes it difficult to
67 support other people.”

68 A shy person may not have a choice about being shy. She becomes shy because of her
69 genetic character and her experience. But, she can learn to use the good skills that many
70 shy people have. In this way she can do something good with her shy character.

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