--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Generalized Social Anxiety In contrast to…" description: "\"“ Generalized Social Anxiety In contrast to people with specific social anxieties, you may be afraid in a wide variety of situations. You might feel th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/934/heather-moehn-10554_high-school_generalized-social-anxiety-in-contrast-t_116631.jpg" --- # Generalized Social Anxiety In contrast to people with… ![“Generalized Social Anxiety In contrast to people with specific social anxieties, you may be afraid in a wide variety of situations. You might feel that people are judging everything you do and you might set unreasonable standards of perfection for yourself. This condition is called generalized (or…” quote by Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/934/heather-moehn-10554_high-school_generalized-social-anxiety-in-contrast-t_116631.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/934/heather-moehn-10554_high-school_generalized-social-anxiety-in-contrast-t_116631.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/934/heather-moehn-10554_high-school_generalized-social-anxiety-in-contrast-t_116631.jpg) > ““ Generalized Social Anxiety In contrast to people with specific social anxieties, you may be afraid in a wide variety of situations. You might feel that people are judging everything you do and you might set unreasonable standards of perfection for yourself. This condition is called generalized (or discrete) social anxiety. Generalized social anxiety accounts for 80 percent of all cases of social anxiety. Often, people with generalized social anxiety get caught in a vicious cycle. Because they are overly anxious in many situations, they act in clumsy and awkward ways, which in turn makes them feel even more discouraged and anxious. This cycle often results in depression and chronic stress. Generalized social anxiety can affect almost every aspect of your life. This has been the case for Toni, a college senior. In high school, I hardly had any friends. I didn’t participate in any extracurricular activities and managed to get by with average grades. Because I attend a large state university, I am even more invisible. So far, I have avoided any class that has any interaction with my peers, such as discussion groups or labs. As graduation approaches, I need to decide what type of career I want. The thought of job interviews terrifies me. I am considering grad school but would need recommendations to apply. I haven’t even spoken to most of my professors, and the ones who know me probably can’t say anything good about me. As a result, I’m really depressed. When I imagine the future, I can’t see myself being happy. I’ll probably move back to my parents’ house after graduation. I know they are disappointed in me, and that makes me feel like a complete failure. ”” [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Generalized social anxiety spreads fear across many situations, creating a self‑reinforcing loop of awkward behavior, discouragement, and heightened risk of depression and chronic stress. **In simple terms:** Broad social fear fuels a vicious cycle that harms mental health. Key Takeaway Anxiety can become pervasive and self‑destructive. Themes mental health social anxiety self‑esteem depression stress Mood anxious discouraged hopeful (if change pursued) Type psychological insight personal narrative When to use this quote - Avoiding class participation - Skipping networking events - Postponing job applications - Isolating from peers Key Concepts cognitive‑behavioral feedback loop perfectionism social evaluation Practical Applications - Gradual exposure to low‑stakes social interactions - Cognitive restructuring of perfectionist thoughts Questions to Reflect On - What small social step could break the anxiety cycle? - How does perfectionism amplify social fear? A Different Perspective Even with therapy, some individuals may still struggle with deep‑rooted self‑criticism and external pressures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [Job Interviews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job-interviews/) [Social anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-anxiety/) ## Related quotes > [You have social media and the Internet and immigration and so, suddenly, cultures are clashing and people feel as if they're less familiar with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/you-have-social-media-and-the-internet-and-immigration-and-so/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“ Choosing Careers Many people with social anxiety do not have the job they would like the most because of fear. They hold jobs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/choosing-careers-many-people-with-social-anxiety-do-not-have-the-job/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ Genetics Genes are often referred to as the blueprint for human beings. It is well-known that they determine such things as eye color,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/genetics-genes-are-often-referred-to-as-the-blueprint-for-human/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“Because you are reading this book, you probably know that social anxiety has a large impact on your life. It creates problems in school,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/because-you-are-reading-this-book-you-probably-know-that-social/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ Environment The biochemical and genetic explanations for social anxiety are fairly straightforward. However, they don’t explain why one person fears all social situations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/environment-the-biochemical-and-genetic-explanations-for-social/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ Perfectionism People with social anxiety tend to be perfectionists. A degree of perfectionism is generally seen as a good trait. It makes people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/perfectionism-people-with-social-anxiety-tend-to-be-perfectionists-a/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy There are almost no pure cognitive or behavioral therapists. Instead, most therapists use a combination of both techniques. This is known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-there-are-almost-no-pure-cognitive-or/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“Shyness is not necessarily a problem. It can be a very nice aspect of your personality. Many introverted celebrities, such as Chelsea Clinton and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/shyness-is-not-necessarily-a-problem-it-can-be-a-very-nice-aspect-of/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ The History of Social Anxiety The fact that some people are shyer than others has been observed since ancient times. However, the medical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/the-history-of-social-anxiety-the-fact-that-some-people-are-shyer/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ Exposure Therapy Exposure therapy, also known as desensitization, works best with very specific anxieties and phobias. For example, Jessica is deathly afraid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/exposure-therapy-exposure-therapy-also-known-as-desensitization-works/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ A Final Word Now that you have become familiar with social anxiety, you know that it is a common problem, especially for teenagers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/a-final-word-now-that-you-have-become-familiar-with-social-anxiety/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ Learning from Incorrect Information The messages that society sends you are not always accurate. Females often hear that they should be kind, gentle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/learning-from-incorrect-information-the-messages-that-society-sends/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ Fear of Asking for Help If you have social anxiety, it is probably very difficult to ask a teacher or classmate for help.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/fear-of-asking-for-help-if-you-have-social-anxiety-it-is-probably/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“As we discussed in chapter 2, there are three ways in which anxiety affects people: physically, mentally, and behaviorally. In this section, you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/as-we-discussed-in-chapter-2-there-are-three-ways-in-which-anxiety/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ Group Therapy Group therapy has been very successful for treating social anxiety, and there are many benefits to it. Members are a source…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/group-therapy-group-therapy-has-been-very-successful-for-treating/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) ## More by Heather Moehn > [“ Group Therapy Group therapy has been very successful for treating social anxiety, and there are many benefits to it. Members are a source…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/group-therapy-group-therapy-has-been-very-successful-for-treating/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“As we discussed in chapter 2, there are three ways in which anxiety affects people: physically, mentally, and behaviorally. In this section, you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/as-we-discussed-in-chapter-2-there-are-three-ways-in-which-anxiety/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ Fear of Asking for Help If you have social anxiety, it is probably very difficult to ask a teacher or classmate for help.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/fear-of-asking-for-help-if-you-have-social-anxiety-it-is-probably/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ Learning from Incorrect Information The messages that society sends you are not always accurate. Females often hear that they should be kind, gentle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/learning-from-incorrect-information-the-messages-that-society-sends/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ A Final Word Now that you have become familiar with social anxiety, you know that it is a common problem, especially for teenagers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/a-final-word-now-that-you-have-become-familiar-with-social-anxiety/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ Exposure Therapy Exposure therapy, also known as desensitization, works best with very specific anxieties and phobias. For example, Jessica is deathly afraid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/exposure-therapy-exposure-therapy-also-known-as-desensitization-works/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ Possible Problems with Journal Writing Be careful not to get too involved with your journal. In many published journals, writers such as Anais…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/possible-problems-with-journal-writing-be-careful-not-to-get-too/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ Are you publicly or privately shy? If you are publicly shy, you will agree with the following types of statements that focus on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/are-you-publicly-or-privately-shy-if-you-are-publicly-shy-you-will/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ The History of Social Anxiety The fact that some people are shyer than others has been observed since ancient times. However, the medical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/the-history-of-social-anxiety-the-fact-that-some-people-are-shyer/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“Shyness is not necessarily a problem. It can be a very nice aspect of your personality. Many introverted celebrities, such as Chelsea Clinton and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/shyness-is-not-necessarily-a-problem-it-can-be-a-very-nice-aspect-of/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy There are almost no pure cognitive or behavioral therapists. Instead, most therapists use a combination of both techniques. This is known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-there-are-almost-no-pure-cognitive-or/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ Perfectionism People with social anxiety tend to be perfectionists. A degree of perfectionism is generally seen as a good trait. It makes people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/perfectionism-people-with-social-anxiety-tend-to-be-perfectionists-a/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ Environment The biochemical and genetic explanations for social anxiety are fairly straightforward. However, they don’t explain why one person fears all social situations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/environment-the-biochemical-and-genetic-explanations-for-social/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“Because you are reading this book, you probably know that social anxiety has a large impact on your life. It creates problems in school,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/because-you-are-reading-this-book-you-probably-know-that-social/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [“ How to Perform Progressive Muscle Relaxation Make sure you are wearing loose clothing and that you remove your shoes. Sit in a comfortable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/how-to-perform-progressive-muscle-relaxation-make-sure-you-are/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) [Explore all 64 Heather Moehn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) ## More High school quotes > [High school sucked. It was a universal truth, and whoever said these were supposed to be the best years of your life was probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/high-school-sucked-it-was-a-universal-truth-and-whoever-said-these/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [High school, going into my junior year, I kind of had the idea I was going to be the starting running back. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saquon-barkley/high-school-going-into-my-junior-year-i-kind-of-had-the-idea-i-was/) [Saquon Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saquon-barkley/) > [I was in high school and I had an independent album out, and we kept sending that out, and I was doing shows. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/i-was-in-high-school-and-i-had-an-independent-album-out-and-we-kept/) [Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [“This was going to be worse than the time I table danced in the diner in high school!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-bryson/this-was-going-to-be-worse-than-the-time-i-table-danced-in-the-diner/) [Kathy Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-bryson/) > [I remember throughout middle school and high school how excited my mom, sister and I would be when a UNC game was on TV.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-barnes/i-remember-throughout-middle-school-and-high-school-how-excited-my/) [Harrison Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-barnes/) > [Nothing teaches great writing like the very best books do. Yet, good teachers often help students cross that bridge, and I have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/nothing-teaches-great-writing-like-the-very-best-books-do-yet-good/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [In high school, I did some musicals, but I never took acting until college. I was studying opera, classical voice, and a speech teacher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/in-high-school-i-did-some-musicals-but-i-never-took-acting-until/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [I have wrestled in almost every tournament in the world. I've won the Olympics, NCAAs, and World Championships, but none of those can truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-burroughs/i-have-wrestled-in-almost-every-tournament-in-the-world-i-ve-won-the/) [Jordan Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-burroughs/) > [My mother worked in the white world, but I lived almost exclusively in a black world. I don't think I had ever seen a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/my-mother-worked-in-the-white-world-but-i-lived-almost-exclusively-in/) [Edward P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-p-jones/) > [I was born in Cuba. At the age of 14 years of age I was involved in a revolution. We were suffering from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-was-born-in-cuba-at-the-age-of-14-years-of-age-i-was-involved-in-a/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [“I swear that I will never cause trouble for anybody, as long as I live!! So please! Nobody cause any trouble for me, either!!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minoru-furuya/i-swear-that-i-will-never-cause-trouble-for-anybody-as-long-as-i-live/) Minoru Furuya > [I was just putting way too much pressure on myself. I was just trying to get that validation from my dad. It got so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/i-was-just-putting-way-too-much-pressure-on-myself-i-was-just-trying/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [“I’ve had boyfriends before, and frankly, each one was a disappointment. There was nothing horribly wrong with these boys. It was my fault. I’m…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-bushnell/i-ve-had-boyfriends-before-and-frankly-each-one-was-a-disappointment/) [Candace Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-bushnell/) > [I was so shy. Instead of waiting in line with other kids at lunch, I'd go to a corner and buy a pretzel and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-facinelli/i-was-so-shy-instead-of-waiting-in-line-with-other-kids-at-lunch-i-d/) [Peter Facinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-facinelli/) [Browse all 7,108 High school quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“ Generalized Social Anxiety In contrast to people with specific social anxieties, you may be afraid in a wide variety of situations. You might feel that people are judging everything you do and you might set unreasonable standards of perfection for yourself. This condition is called generalized (or discrete) social anxiety. Generalized social anxiety accounts for 80 percent of all cases of social anxiety. Often, people with generalized social anxiety get caught in a vicious cycle. Because they are overly anxious in many situations, they act in clumsy and awkward ways, which in turn makes them feel even more discouraged and anxious. This cycle often results in depression and chronic stress. Generalized social anxiety can affect almost every aspect of your life. This has been the case for Toni, a college senior. In high school, I hardly had any friends. I didn’t participate in any extracurricular activities and managed to get by with average grades. Because I attend a large state university, I am even more invisible. So far, I have avoided any class that has any interaction with my peers, such as discussion groups or labs. As graduation approaches, I need to decide what type of career I want. The thought of job interviews terrifies me. I am considering grad school but would need recommendations to apply. I haven’t even spoken to most of my professors, and the ones who know me probably can’t say anything good about me. As a result, I’m really depressed. When I imagine the future, I can’t see myself being happy. I’ll probably move back to my parents’ house after graduation. I know they are disappointed in me, and that makes me feel like a complete failure. ”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Heather Moehn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/generalized-social-anxiety-in-contrast-to-people-with-specific-social/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "High school" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/generalized-social-anxiety-in-contrast-to-people-with-specific-social/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/934/heather-moehn-10554_high-school_generalized-social-anxiety-in-contrast-t_116631.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/934/heather-moehn-10554_high-school_generalized-social-anxiety-in-contrast-t_116631.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/934/heather-moehn-10554_high-school_generalized-social-anxiety-in-contrast-t_116631.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Generalized Social Anxiety In contrast to people with specific social anxieties, you may be afraid in a wide…” — Heather Moehn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Heather Moehn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“ Generalized Social Anxiety In contrast...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/generalized-social-anxiety-in-contrast-to-people-with-specific-social/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/generalized-social-anxiety-in-contrast-to-people-with-specific-social/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```