Self-Concept and Self-Actualization: Nucleus of Shyness and Social Anxiety Disorder
Author: Ruy Miranda, Dr.
In the dynamics of the self-concept and in the tendency to
self-actualization are found the primary causes of Shyness
and Social Anxiety Disorder / Social Phobia. It seems that
these conditions result from the introduction, in the
self-concept, of the elements which obstruct
self-actualization. This obstruction is damaging and
experienced as discomfort inasmuch as it precludes that a
given force, self-actualization, expands. We will detail
each part.

Self-concept

What the self-concept is – It is the set of values and
beliefs, conscious or accessible to one's consciousness, as
well as attitudes and opinions the individual has of
himself, of himself as regards others, the world and all
that one's mind can reach.

In the case of Shyness or Social Anxiety, the concepts must
be examined:
• as regards himself;
• as regards himself vis à vis the other person.

Concepts as regards oneself – They are predominantly
depreciative. Examples: "I've got nothing to talk to other
people about", "I am not able to face life", "I am ugly", "I
am not knowledgeable", "I am not intelligent", "I feel
unprotected, like a child", "It is awful when someone
belittles me", "I cannot stand being rejected", "I am not
nice to be with", "I have no presence of mind", "I cannot
tell jokes or interesting tales", "Indeed I do have 'that'
problem", "I am ashamed by 'that' problem of my parents".
Many of these concepts – or similar concepts – fit neatly
into what is known as low self-esteem or beliefs.

Concepts of oneself vis à vis the other person – This
"other" is perceived as stronger, more capable and
intrinsically hostile. Examples: "People are ready to jump
on me and criticize me", "Everybody has a boy/girlfriend,
except me", "Nobody gives a hoot about what I say", "People
may not actually come right out and say it, but they do not
think well of me", "Everyone sees me as a child and will try
to take advantage of me", "If I react, he / she will catch
me from behind", "Other folks are always judging me", "They
will make fun of me, depending on what I say", "If they do
not laugh at me in my face, they will surely do it behind my
back", "What if they discover 'that' problem?", "If I blow
it or shoot myself in the foot, everybody will know about
it", "No one look at me with respect".


Previous experiences – For these concepts to be impregnated
into one's self, the person will have gone through lasting
experiences.

Self-actualization

Tendency to Self-Actualization – A concept created by Kurt
Goldstein in 1940 and later widely used by Carl Rogers, it
means a basic force which drives the person forward and
onwards. This force has biological and psychological
aspects. In the psychological field there are forces which
drive us on in several directions. When these forces are
obstructed, we feel discomfort.

Social Anxiety Disorder and Shyness – Feelings

Feelings experienced through Shyness and Social Anxiety –
These are feelings one experiences when a situation brings
up depreciative aspects of self-concept and the threat
represented by the other person. Example: the individual
whose self concept says "I have nothing to talk to other
people about" and he faces someone whom he figures is about
to criticize him – will feel discomfort in that situation.
In fact, this discomfort is a set of feelings and emotions,
threat and danger being rather common – this is known as
anxiety. Then this anxiety arises from the obstruction of
the force that drives the person to social integration.

Anguish is also highlighted and in many situations it
preceeds reactive depression, i. e., it preceeds the
depression as a consequence of the situation.

The person feels threatened in social situations or facing
the prospect of such situations. In feeling the threat,
he/she undergoes physiological reactions which prepare the
organism for flight in order to survive. Flight is one's
natural way out in Social Anxiety Disorder because,
according to his self concept, the person has no weapons to
fight off the threat.

Although there is no physical risk, what is felt is at the
same levels of physical risk and can be as high as the risk
of losing one's life. It is a threat of psychological death,
of no longer existing as a person, of disintegrated self. At
a lower intensity level, one's impression is that of coming
to suffer major losses.

Instintictively, the person avoids threatening situations,
i. e., avoids contacts with others. If alone or with
relatives or with a friend, then there is no threat or it is
lower. A natural consequence is the loneliness of solitude.

Deadlocks – In many situations, flight is impossible. In
other situations, the inner force, in the form of desire, of
need, is very intense. What to do in such deadlocks? People
find adaptive ways. Example: they develop behaviors in order
not to allow that the hostility – which they think others
harbor towards them – to come to the surface. Among such
behaviors are common changes in one's tone of voice, the use
of auxiliary verbs, the use of the verbal conditional tense,
milder gestures, verbal economy. Through such actions, they
judge that they control the hostility that they think exists
in others.

Concretely, they begin to speak in a lower voice, use
expressions such as "I wonder whether you could?", "Perhaps
you might be able to", "Could it be that you might do
this?", "Were it possible, I would like", and they develop
verbal mannerisms, speak little, beat endlessly around the
bush before coming to the point, and so forth and so on.

The person who is not able to make these adaptations or
regards them as insufficient constantly feels that
disintegration is about to take place. In other words, he or
she lives in constant apprehension.

It becomes evident that the dynamics of self-concept and
self-actualization play a central role in the Shyness and
Social Anxiety Disorder. To overcome them the person needs
to change these dynamics.

About the Author

Ruy Miranda is a Brazilian Psychiatrist and a former University
Professor. In http://www.social-anxiety-shyness-info.com he offers articles on Shyness and Social Anxiety Disorder, and excerpts of his novel "The Saga of a Shy Fellow".

You may reproduce this article as long as it is in its complete form and that the resource box is included. Copyright © 2004-2005, Ruy Miranda, all
rights reserved.