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submitted 22 hours ago by glowing_hans@sopuli.xyz to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

I say I am 8. Perhaps one could get used to it by practice. But I made bad experiences and constantly afraid of personal attacks based on ultra-quick judgment.

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[-] Gigdragon@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

Somewhere between 3 and 5.

[-] TheColonel@reddthat.com 6 points 12 hours ago

0

Who gives a shit? They’re probably more afraid of me than I am of them.

They’re stuck here with ME.

[-] yermaw@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 hours ago

I subscribe to that logic, but im still at a 6 or 7. I had serious anxiety problems a long time ago and im still on the nervous side, though its nowhere near as crippling as it was.

Trouble is im built like Desperate Dan, and if its sunny ill catch my own reflection in shop windows and shit myself because "Holy jesus he looks mean and he's so close and.. its me isnt it..."

[-] NorthWestWind@lemmy.world 3 points 11 hours ago

Used to be like 8 or 9, but now it's around 4. I have been streaming for 2 years and that's likely the cause.

Recently I have been enjoying talking to random people more. Mostly old people like to initiate conversations with me, and we don't even talk about crazy things. The conversations are more about how they are doing and it's good to know that they are still kicking.

[-] tisktisk@piefed.social 24 points 21 hours ago
[-] Truffle@lemmy.ml 2 points 18 hours ago
[-] HocEnimVeni@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago

This is the underrated answer

[-] bizzle@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours ago

It's entirely vibe based, some people I'd talk to no problem but other people... hell nah. Overall I'd say 2/10

[-] originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com 15 points 22 hours ago

1

theyre just people, with possibly very shitty opinions. your issue is weighting their opinions disproportionately to your relationship with them (none).

if youre happy with yourself, other peoples attacks hold no power.

also, i like to keep the old quote in mind 'be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.' as it helps maintain perspective when speaking to people who could react negatively.

[-] glowing_hans@sopuli.xyz 4 points 22 hours ago

Yeah, and attacks rarely get physical I guess, but somehow that always weights in the back of my mind as well.

[-] IWW4@lemmy.zip 3 points 17 hours ago

1 being not afraid, 10 being terrified?

I am a 1.

[-] 0_0j@lemmy.world 2 points 16 hours ago

Second this. YOLO the heck out. Met my hommies thru this.

[-] LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

I don't feel afraid at all. I don't give a single fuck what they think honestly, if I really mess up I can always just leave and never speak to them again.

Well if I'm really harsh on myself and define fear as more of a hesitancy, maybe 3-4 at most depending on the person and how likely they are to be some kinda crazy. It's a sort of hierarchy.

Drunk men? Avoid avoid avoid.

Middle class white women, especially on the older side of 30? Yup no thanks.

Fashionable looking young guy, or a well dressed slightly older gentleman in a long coat at rush hour type? Prolly ok.

Blasting music? Nope.

Overly buff? Nope.

Overly unfit? Nope.

Overly pretty women? Nope.

Skinny nerdy type men of my age? Yeah ok.

Plain looking women or androgynous-effeminate femboys and tomboyish lesbians? Yeah that's cool with me.

Under the age of 21 or could look it or over the age of 40? Yeah that's a no.

Wearing religious clothing? Nope.

Overly strong perfume or sweat smell unless they're homeless? Nope.

Seem rural, or have strongly local English accents in the UK? Nope.

Have a strong foreign accent, excluding Slavic, European, Asian or Spanish? Nope!

Speaking any kind of non-european language in public, including anything that resembles Russian, strongly including Bulgarian, but excluding Korean, Japanese, Romanian, Czech, Baltic languages and Polish, unless those in exception groups are older than 40 or younger than 20? Nope! Stranger danger!

Speaking French in Public? Oui oui!

Scottish accent? Yarr or however they talk.

Irish accent? That's a 50/50, it really depends.

German? Yes, but only if they're historically Bavarian.

Spanish? Yes.

Women of any sort in big coats? Nope.

Me? No, not unless im wearing a shirt with sleeves rolled up if I don't have bags with me or do have bags that don't look to heavy and am wearing polarized sunglasses.

Men in big coats? Only if they're not too freshly shaven.

Portuguese? Depends.

Dogs? Yes except the Bully XL and such.

Cats? Unless in Turkey.

Swans? Only if I had mdma and am showing off.

London? Only South London but not proper roadman types, just rough enough to not be tory wankers but civilized enough to hide their accent in shame.

Americans? Well

I think everyone has a list like this in their heads, I could of course keep going until it's down to the person, like no Newton or Jean D'Arc but Caesar and Lenin yes, Octavian at a distance, Gorbachev yes, Yeltsin, Putin, Trump, Reagan or any Bush no etc etc.

Generally though I don't speak to people because I don't like it and neither does anyone so you're perfectly normal?

[-] Ajen@sh.itjust.works 2 points 12 hours ago

I think everyone has a list like this in their heads

Nope. This is probably common here on Lemmy, but so is social anxiety.

[-] LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 12 hours ago

I don't have social anxiety though. I can talk for days. I just don't.

[-] Ajen@sh.itjust.works 2 points 12 hours ago

I'm not saying social anxiety is the only reason for avoiding interacting with other people based on their age/race/socioeconomic status/etc, but it's one of the few that doesn't fall into the "bigot" category, IMO.

[-] cerebralhawks@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 16 hours ago

About a 5. It’s close to 50/50. I don’t like talking to people who steal energy. Maybe you know what I mean. I have no problem striking up a conversation with a stranger and maintaining it if it’s interesting. I sometimes have a problem dipping out when it stops bringing me joy.

[-] wewbull@feddit.uk 3 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

I say I am 8

...says the person asking complete strangers.

I know you said IRL, but we are real... Honest.

[-] glowing_hans@sopuli.xyz 2 points 18 hours ago
[-] ekky@sopuli.xyz 1 points 17 hours ago

And so it was confirmed. @wewbull@feddit.uk was no real person, and neither was I. Trapped eternally as fragments of @glowing_hans@sopuli.xyz' imagination.

[-] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 6 points 22 hours ago

Depends what kind of talking. I'd rather chat lightly with a total stranger (I'll help you find what you're looking for in the grocery store for instance) than get into long deep conversations with family or friends who can bring up deeply personal uncomfortable topics.

Hence hanging out in Lemmy.

[-] Witchfire@lemmy.world 1 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

It's very vibes based and really depends but I'm comfortable in most social situations. The worst is speaking to cishet men because I can never tell in advance whether or not they're gonna be creepy. Alternative and queer looking people are close to 1.

Overall I'm comfortable in social situations though. My partner usually makes me do the talking.

[-] PM_ME_VINTAGE_30S@lemmy.today 5 points 22 hours ago

Like a 2. Not that I'm not nervous talking to strangers, but I'm also nervous talking to anyone.

[-] Sam_Bass@lemmy.ml 1 points 16 hours ago

I don't talk to them at all unless there is a legitimate reason to do so. Small talk ain't me

[-] daggermoon@lemmy.world 1 points 16 hours ago

8, I feel like nobody wants to talk to me.

[-] moseschrute@lemmy.ml 3 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

7, but most of that is just approaching people. After we start talking maybe 3

[-] glowing_hans@sopuli.xyz 2 points 21 hours ago

Yeah the initialization/start is really hard for me.

[-] random_character_a@lemmy.world 3 points 21 hours ago

In a big city it depends who starts.

No problem starting a discussion with someone if it's for a reason or natural flow of the situation.

If somebody starts talking to you out of the blue, there is a very good chance he/she is a mental case, junkie, proselyting, selling something or all above.

[-] glowing_hans@sopuli.xyz 1 points 21 hours ago

yeah I guess this question is about myself being forced to initiate a conversation (for example a question). I was not precise.

[-] datavoid@lemmy.ml 3 points 22 hours ago

Depends on the context.

Most people would probably be like a 3, but if it's an attractive woman probably like an 8. Even though im married and have no interest, lots of attractive women view me speaking to them as a threat and react aggressively. Being ugly is so fun 🙂

[-] thatradomguy@lemmy.world 2 points 21 hours ago

I would also say an 8. I grew up with social anxiety and not the way they've been displaying it in recent media. I mean like actual, crippling social anxiety. Like I legit couldn't talk to a cashier to pay for my own food 'cause I was too afraid. I've been forced to—out of necessity —to talk to people and I've grown accustom to doing so given the right scenario but I am also an introvert. I think all of that adds up to me just not being the type of person to go around talking to strangers. If I did for some reason decide to, I would probably be very uncomfortable. It's just not in my nature.

[-] glowing_hans@sopuli.xyz 1 points 21 hours ago

Oh yeah cashiers are scary as well

this post was submitted on 23 Aug 2025
24 points (96.2% liked)

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