There are many instances where people are anxious about social functions and events such as speeches, reports, presentations, and many more. It's normal to feel nervous speaking to a lot of people, and feel the pressure with their eyes on you. I had a lot of experience with this one. We had a presentation for our Research writing, and I was called on in front. Of course, I didn't expect it, but I tried to act normal, but to be honest, I was already shaking from both the cold and from anxiety.
If you think my nervousness was bad, just you wait until you see something called Taijin Kyofusho. In Japan, this is a social phobia wherein the individual shows fear of social events which may cause embarrassment for them. It's a culture-specific syndrome that's unique in Eastern society. In Western societies, this disease is mostly foreign, and unheard of. According to an article by Dustin Saunders, entitled "Taijin Kyofusho: A Culture-Bound Syndrome", the individual with Taijin Kyofusho fears embarrassing the peers they are with, not themselves. They fear that their appearance and behaviors may offend other people, thus causing them extreme distress.
"As a result of these feelings, they also experience persistent suffering in the form of emotional distress through shame, embarrassment, anxiety, fear, and other tense feelings when confronted with social circumstances. In addition, individuals also worry about being unable to maintain healthy relationships with others. "
Due to their anxieties, there were some who tend to isolate themselves from the outside world and lock themselves up in their own homes. In Japan, a survey result showed that most of the sufferers of this anxiety disorder are male, despite the females scoring higher on the social phobia scale.
Fear is a heavy emotion that makes us stop taking risks because of the possible negative outcome. But as a line I heard before, it's more shameful for us to not stand up and try again after failing.
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