Community: Real Life

Shy and mighty


Rosemary Munro

Rosemary is an art student from London who wants to be a journalist. She likes going to the theatre, reading, and watching Top Gear repeats on Dave.

Rosemary is disturbed by the measures some might take to suppress shyness.

In Britain and America shyness can be seen as a weakness. Unhelpful advice such as "Just get over it" and "Try and talk more" is dispensed as if it's possible to flick a switch in your brain and suddenly become 'outgoing' or 'bubbly'. Perhaps the worst thing that these people can ask is that terrible question: "Why are you so quiet?" Do they actually want an answer? What are you supposed to say? "Well, it all stems from my first day of school when I had this harrowing incident in PE... "?

After some internet research, I found shyness described as a 'sickness' or 'disease' and was even referred by one website to an NHS helpline. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure that social phobia can be a terribly debilitating condition for genuine sufferers, but for the rest of us who are merely a little nervous in social situations, being labeled as reclusive can be equally disconcerting.

However, help is at hand for us in this crippling situation. A new drug is now available that will get rid of the symptoms of shyness. They claim the drug is a powerful neurotransmitter which reduces anxiety in stressful situations. Apparently it's not addictive and has no side effects; this all sounds too good to be true. How has the scientific community lost so much of its common sense that it's now prescribing drugs for a common personality trait which is shared by 40% of the British population? Tests have shown that this drug is more likely to make us approach strangers and give money to charity. Great, so we're going to end up broke and drugged, but at least we'll be sociable.

"We're going to end up broke and drugged, but at least we'll be sociable."

The drug companies that produced this 'wonder drug' have said that it would be a grave injustice not to administer it to sufferers, but of course they would, they're drug companies, they just want a profit from all their research. In fact, could the situation be that the drug companies have invented a new drug, and then invented a new disorder so they have a market to sell it to? The companies have also promoted the drug as a spray in restaurants to put people at ease. Clearly, they're not interested in the welfare of their clients, just parting them from their cash. This also highlights the scary situation in which consumers could be drugged while they are completely unaware of what they are actually inhaling. Would the Government actually allow this Brave New World  scenario to happen (where the entire population is constantly on recreational drugs.) What makes these people think that they can just reach into our lives and try to change our personalities?

If you're shy you should be proud of it and rejoice in the fact that you aren't an irritatingly loud person. Be glad that you can listen and observe instead of just incessantly talking. And the next time some idiot asks you "Why are you so quiet?" ask them why they're so damn nosy!

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Updated: 11/08/2008


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