What are the negative effects of the fear of making a fool of yourself?

The fear of making a fool of yourself is a phenomenon that greatly conditions and limits the lives of more than a few people.

Beyond being a simple attitude when assessing the risks and possible advantages of certain interactions social, this psychological phenomenon leads some to minimize relationships with those who do not know or know little.

In this article We will see what exactly the fear of making a fool of ourselves consists of and what its negative effects can be in people's life.

• Related article: "The 7 types of anxiety (characteristics, causes and symptoms)"

What is the fear of making a fool of yourself?

In short, the fear of making a fool of yourself is the emotional response to the anticipation of giving such a bad image to others that it can even be a source of ridicule.

Per se, fear of being ridiculous doesn't have to always be troublesome; in some cases it is simply a way to avoid getting involved in activities that one does not master and that can lead to giving an unflattering image of oneself to others; in such cases, the fear of making a fool of ourselves can be seen as a protection mechanism for the public image of a person, taking into account certain conventions, codes of aesthetics, etc.

However, when the fear of being ridiculed becomes very intense, it almost always becomes a problem.

When the fear of making a fool of yourself is a recurring psychological element in a person's behavior, usually goes hand in hand with a personality type that tends towards shyness. And it is that shyness is precisely the predisposition to be afraid of getting out of the canons of "what normal ”in front of people who are hardly known, since their approval is sought very insistence.

But when that fear of being ridiculous becomes so extreme, in frequency of appearance and intensity, that it governs the social behavior of the person, can become a true anxiety disorder: the social phobia.

People who develop this psychopathology actively take steps to avoid interacting with people they don't know, and isolate themselves socially so as not to expose themselves to the rejection of others (assuming that this rejection is will produce).

• You may be interested in: "How does self-esteem influence making friends?"

Possible problems caused by the fear of making a fool of yourself

The fear of making a fool of yourself is much more than an entirely subjective experience; it also has an objective component, reflected in the actions of the person, which can significantly wear down our quality of life.

Here you will find a summary of the most common problems that can occur in the day to day of those who feel this type of fear in a very intense way.

1. Loss of opportunities in social life

The fear of being ridiculous makes that the task of making friends or even meeting potential love or sexual partners becomes very complicated, or even impossible. Therefore, it leads many people to feel very frustrated with their social life.

2. Opportunity cost for wanting to "fit in"

Another negative consequence of the fear of making a fool of yourself is that people who are very shy or even have social phobia they can spend a lot of time and resources trying to "fit in" by going the learning path theoretical.

That is are obsessed with knowing all the conventions to which you have to adapt, to know in advance everything that can lead them to look ridiculous.

• Related article: "Need for approval: what is it and how can it become a problem"

3. Serious problems when communicating to an audience

In contexts such as the university or certain jobs it is necessary to make oral presentations in front of a more or less wide audience, and these kinds of experiences come to terrify those who are more sensitive to the fear of making a fool of themselves.

Therefore, this psychological phenomenon can significantly limit the prospects for academic or professional improvement.

4. Avoidance of social interactions is limiting

When the fear of making a fool of yourself is intense enough that leads the person to try to avoid social interactions that they know might occur, that raises other parallel problems.

For example, lengthening the way back home to avoid passing in front of a group meeting point, avoiding going to family dinners and exposing yourself to conflicts because of it, etc.

• Related article: "Loneliness and mental health"

5. It leads many people to not want to go to therapy

Unfortunately, the fear of being ridiculous leads many people to avoid seeking help. psychotherapy they need because they do not want to show their vulnerabilities to a health professional psychology.

The idea that the problems that oneself suffer are going to give an image too regrettable or unworthy makes one seek to hide also that discomfort and the problems associated with it, assuming that they are "nonsense" or the result of a kind of "weakness mental". This phenomenon has to do with the stigmas that for decades have been carried by people who needed support in the field of mental health.

Meyo: an app that can help you overcome shyness

If you have decided to overcome shyness and not let it continue to limit you in your personal relationships, there are a smartphone application that can help you: Meyo.

This app is designed as a personal trainer that helps you achieve goals both in terms of psychological well-being and physical well-being.

It includes series of exercises and challenges that allow you to develop new skills and integrate habits that improve quality of life into your day-to-day life, with goals such as improving anxiety management, learning to overcome one's own fears, knowing how to motivate oneself, starting to exercise in a regular, etc.

If you are interested, you can download Meyo at this page for Android systems, or in This other for iOS.