I was talking to someone earlier and they mentioned the fear they have of meeting other people and going to groups and talking to others in real life.

I can't comprehend the challenge and I'm really curious as to what the biggest fear is for those who are afraid, intimidated, or uncertain about talking to others.

What are you worried about and what is the worst thing that can happen?  Please help me understand your points of view.

I don't really know what they would be afraid of when it comes to meeting/ talking to new people to be honest, perhaps they're afraid people will judge their appearance and the way they look and act or perhaps they are afraid that other people have different viewpoints than they do. Some people just have sever social anxiety and the thought of meeting new people is just a scary experience for them and it can cause them to panic.

I've never been good at striking up conversation or anything, but I wouldn't say I have a genuine fear of meeting and communicating with other people. It's an interesting topic to get into though. I can't even begin to imagine what the daily lives of people like this must be like...

I used to have this fear up until a about a year or two back. For me, and for everyone around me who had the same issue, it was about trust.

Whenever i initiated a conversation between myself and another person, i had this fear that scratched at me. I was afraid that this person would betray me. That they'd turn against me.

Really, the key to overcoming this is to ask yourself if these fears are realistic. I had to instil more confidence in myself and learn to be more trusting. Most people i know who had the same issues overcame it in much the same way. But it seems some are born with a distrust of other people that's near impossible for them to overcome.

This is quite an interesting topic to bring up. I was a shy person when I was younger but it wasn't really that big of a deal compared to a fear. Every single person is different despite of their similarities and differences whether one likes it or not. Communication can sometimes play a role into this.

You're speaking about someone who has a fear of meeting other people, talking to others, and being in groups. Everyone wants to feel welcomed and comfortable around themselves as well as with other people but however, it may or may not take some time. When it comes to groups, it can be rather intimidating and it becomes a numbers game. Like for example, it's much easier to express yourself when you're alone but as you add a person with, it can be a little bit tougher to interact and bond. Then start adding more people, the socialization with more people can get tougher and challenging to that one person. That's the reason why when it comes to groups, a group usually separates itself into smaller groups. People stick to whoever they feel close and attached to the most. That person that you talked to earlier today may have felt some way like that. It must have took some will and courage to talk to you.

It could also do with connections as well, deciding where you belong in society and the real world. Connections can be due to social class, economic status, race, personality, interests, and/or etc. From one's point of view (especially from a closed person), it can be a challenging task to find someone who you can trust, interact, and bond with.

The consequences may be through to verbal or physical abuse, causing an isolated person to feel like he/she doesn't belong here in the real world. Like if a big group of people are against one person, that one person is more likely to feel scared and run away from that problem. The numbers game plays a whole role especially when it comes to socialization. It can be tough to find yourself to fit in reality especially with millions of people who are trying to do the same as well.

I'd say I'm scared of socializing with new people; I'm never one for good/perfect first impressions, I tend to go into things as I would with my friends, unless it's for a job or something of major importance, as just being myself will show the new people who I am as a person (my introduction thread does show that but with additional acting madness). But then the problem is my fear of not being liked/well-received and becoming an outcast to people. It's not like I really care if people hate me, I tend to get down when people don't bother with me when I try to get involved and social - like that small kid trying to see what's happening when everyone else is taller than him.

I recently was told that my presence made a few people uncomfortable and I was removed from a local Skype chat group for that reason, and that the person who made the group wanted to keep the peace - already that's alienating me from everyone else, and it's affecting my decisions to meet up with said people/friends at social gatherings.

I'm not technically afraid of socialization itself, I'm afraid of rejection and judgement. I have a very pessimistic and cynical attitude toward humanity in general. I know I would likely judge me for the things I say and do, because I'm doing it in my head, so what stops someone else for doing it?

Not sure if that's how other people see it, or if it's just me. But that's my reasoning. It's why I only really become social in the hospital and in certain programs. They're not ALLOWED to judge you, they get in trouble for it. As long as no one judges me out loud, I'm usually fine. Even mild corrections can set my anxiety off. Never mind open mockery on a subject I hold close to my heart. 

That's why I don't talk offline. If I don't know the person online, it's not like I'm likely to see them again. And even when I do, my superiority takes control and I don't CARE what they think because I think they're idiots themselves. Here, judgement really isn't a thing. On games I play, I don't care about their opinion. But that all seems to change when I set foot in the non-virtual world. 

Personally coming from a guy who once had a fear of socializing, I would say it simply comes down to being afraid of confrontation whether it be a verbal or a physical one but thankfully for me I have gotten better over the years and I think building up your confidence will really help those who suffer from these kind of anxieties and fears.

I've still yet to overcome my conservation and shyness when it comes to the dating scene (but next week starts a new semester, you never know), but maybe I can shed some light on just general shyness.

Before college, where I guess my shyness was 'flooded' with thousands of new people, I didn't even have the ability to just walk up to someone I didn't know and engage in conversation. Unless you were a family member or close friend, I would not target you for conversation. I honestly don't feel like I've changed much at all but it's obvious when looking back that that trait DID exist, but it doesn't now. I know that at the time I felt it had to do with knowing people and secrets. Like those random people didn't know me and I didn't even want to talk to them. If I had a thought, I'd usually keep it to myself.

That's mainly what changed. I'm not sure why, or how, but my mindset changed from a secretive one to: "Well, if I don't tell someone this, then no one will ever know." Especially with quarrels, I now make it a point for someone to understand when I'm upset and exactly why. It kind of applies to the socializing factor as well. Just over hearing something or even starting your own conversation, it's as if putting your two cents in is the right thing to do.

Another factor, as far as secrets go, I now feel like talking to strangers is easier; since they don't know anything about your situation, they can't care as much. There's less risk in socializing with new people. I think that's the feeling that changed.

I think that's the reason I still have trouble trying to date... In order to like someone, I have to actually know them/be friends with them. So it begins to matter again... 

tornadocam : We're pretty sure my brother has Aspergers, so while I can't empathize, I sure can sympathize. Good luck. 

Alright, so while I can't even begin to claim this is how everyone feels, for me it was always a matter of first impressions and judgement.
I see myself as a very dependant person. How people think of me and how they treat me affects how I think about myself and how I talk to people. I get this fear of saying the completely wrong thing and all of a sudden, having this snide hate and contempt follow me wherever I go.
Around friends, it's easier because they know you for who you are, and not by some silly little few sentences.
(This little fear makes interviews absolute hell, by the way. If you don't freak out during the interview, you end up freaking out about it afterwards.)
Anyways, because of this I have made very few friends, and even then I rarely see them because I'm so afraid of making a bad impression and losing something I already have very few of.
The difference between ending up alone because of not socialising and ending up alone because you screwed up is a different thing for me.
It's a matter of, 'you're alone because you've chosen this and you won't miss something you never had', to 'you're alone because you messed up, have fun living with that knowledge' is a matter of self security.
Even though I'm not as bad at fearing socialising, I'm still shy because of this.

I have a fear of socializing. I really don't like talking to complete strangers, and I never liked working in groups. My fear is caused by autism and society being cruel towards homosexual and awkward people like me but I could care less what people think of me.

supercool22 : I can't see your text, fyi.

I became convinced or "learned" at a very early age that there is something fundamentally wrong with me or that my existence was incorrect. When I looked in the mirror I felt sadness.

It's very difficult to unlearn something like that but after walking this earth for nearly 40 years, I've learned to work around these thoughts by realizing that my family loves me and most people won't openly ridicule a man that looks like he could become lethal in a pinch. Having said that, it's tough to let anyone new in when I'm constantly putting up such an unapproachable front and I must find a solution to that.

So, it comes back to fear. Fear that they'll reject me, fear that it'll hurt to exist again, fear that they'll find out that there is something fundamentally wrong with me. Fear of the dark places I might find myself in if I feel those feelings again. It's craziness but I still get out of bed every morning knowing that people love me and that I'm intelligent enough to find an answer or a work-around to these problems/thoughts.

I'm a natural born problem solver, I can fix almost any mechanical thing that is broken. I can learn most advanced concepts and excel in subjects that I'm passionate about. I will fix this!

I have such a fear, and I have for most of my life. Over the years, I've managed to figure out how to ignore it, but it's still there every day regardless of whether or not I show it. I struggle to participate in conversations, and it's even harder for me to initiate them. Whenever other people are around, even basic task-completion becomes a significant obstacle. Panic attacks are not uncommon either.

I don't know why I feel this way or what exactly it is that I'm afraid of. But it can be a bit of a handful, to say the least.

I can only speak for myself and my experience. I'm what you might call a manic depressive with social anxiety. When I was around 11 I pretty much began to shut down. I think as I began to draw into myself my social development became stunted. My family, and what few friends I had at the time,couldn't see it,when I was around them .Because I'm comfortable around them so I act "normal". For example if I'm talking to my mom about something terrible that happened,like a car crash,my face will match my voice(serious). But if  I'm talking to a stranger my face will most likely be in a nervous grin and my voice will sound thin(this make me look insane...).                    

My fear is both mental and physical. My muscles cramp,I get nauseous and shaky. It was so bad at on point that I wouldn't answer the phone or the door for people I didn't know well. Thankfully it's not that bad anymore.I would say there are three things that make it worse. One I have ADD and dyslexia,two I have PCOS. I hate having intelligence called into question because I have learning disabilities.It's as if people I know think I can't learn at all, I can and do just differently. Long story short PCOS is a condition with the ovaries and it causes hirsutism, male facial and body hair in women. I guess,for me at least, the fear of physical and social judgement along with poor social skills makes it hard for me to talk and express myself around new people.

But like most things social fears can be overcome, it just takes me a while to warm up to people.

I think it's relatively natural for people to fear socializing especially at a young age.. you want your peers to like and accept you. As others have said, mental handicaps also affect how you socialize it brings in a whole new fear element.. Other times you are just so used to being alone you do not know how to to handle other people anymore. 
Mainly I feel the biggest fear people have when it comes to going out and meeting new people is they are not ready to step out of that comfort zone and they fear being rejected by the people around them.. I can understand that's hard for some people to imagine but it's a problem that occurs in many people's lives... personal expericene can dictate how people feel about befriending others so if someone was cast aside in the past they are inclined to think of that time when even thinking about making a new friend x

When I was younger I had a fear of socializing because I felt awkward, As I got older I became more bold and sure of myself. Now I dress like a Stormtrooper and put smiles on peoples faces. I know some other members of the 501st Legion that have a shyness and once they put the helmet on they have no fear and can mingle amongst the largest of crowds.

Well, because I have Aspergers, it makes it more difficult for me to socialize and make friends. I've been doing better, but I'm still not so good at it. I'm the kind of person who would like to be friends with everybody, and I can't think of what to say to them. I'm afraid that it kind of makes me look like a loser if I go up to them thinking about what I'm going to say next.

Mostly with me in real life, I am a little more self-centered which means I really put myself before anyone else, which really means that I don't really socialized hardly anyone else, so you can almost say that I have a "Fear of Socializing". There are a few people that just don't want to talk to and hang around with other people because they really want to take of things on their own, and I have taken care of things on my own for most of my life, especially since 2004 when things has started going downhill for myself when it comes to group situations and I just mostly focus more on myself like projects for school and what not that involves multiple people or work on it yourself, I choose working it on my own self, because it gets done quicker that way.

So, yeah, some people doesn't want to socialize with others, and others loves to socialize with others, it really depends on that one particular person.

I have spent my entire life with (up to this point) with some form or other of social anxiety.  It is truly hard to describe what it is that I'm afraid of, or rather, it is hard to say that socializing is what scares me in the first place.  I have been around many people who I have become comfortable with and still felt the internal nagging feeling of social desertion, awkward-ness, not always understanding why it was that I was unable to contribute to the conversation;  the easiest way to describe this unprovoked fear is as the fear of rejection.

    I have a fear of rejection to the point that I might dwell on a failed conversation all day, just because the way I meant to have someone react was misunderstood, and maybe not, sometime the very same sometimes worse social scenarios are easily dealt with and forgotten quickly.  It comes down to my own matter of personal perspective and who it is that I am talking to.

  Unlike the regularly talked about awkward-ness of socializing, I may become unable to communicate my feelings even to someone that I am close to, not because I am scared or intimidated by them, but because they are important to me and I do not want to make myself look like a fool in front of them because I am unable to communicate properly.  And then sometimes its just fear, fear of pain, rejection, neglect, etc.  as far as you can imagine, I and many others have felt it regardless of the consequences really being minor and avoid any social construct.