--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Socially anxious people of any age are…" description: "\"“Socially anxious people of any age are likely to deny their problem, to assert, “I’m perfectly happy. I don’t need friends.” As a parent, it is your j..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd7/jonathan-berent-4272_children_socially-anxious-people-of-any-age-are-l_2990501.jpg" --- # Socially anxious people of any age are likely to deny… ![“Socially anxious people of any age are likely to deny their problem, to assert, “I’m perfectly happy. I don’t need friends.” As a parent, it is your job to step back and look objectively at the situation. If your child—of whatever age—sees no one of his own peer group except at school or on the…” quote by Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd7/jonathan-berent-4272_children_socially-anxious-people-of-any-age-are-l_2990501.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd7/jonathan-berent-4272_children_socially-anxious-people-of-any-age-are-l_2990501.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd7/jonathan-berent-4272_children_socially-anxious-people-of-any-age-are-l_2990501.jpg) > ““Socially anxious people of any age are likely to deny their problem, to assert, “I’m perfectly happy. I don’t need friends.” As a parent, it is your job to step back and look objectively at the situation. If your child—of whatever age—sees no one of his own peer group except at school or on the job, then there is a problem. What you’re seeing is avoidance: Of course the person appears content when there is no possibility of humiliation, rejection, or scrutiny, the three things he most wishes to avoid. He or she doesn’t want friends? Don’t buy it. It’s up to you to take action. The older your socially anxious child gets, the more difficult it will be to change his behavior. If you are waiting for the “phase” to end, you will wait forever. If you are waiting for a day when your resistant child of whatever age will become more reasonable and agree to get help with anxiety on his own, you may wait forever. Keep your expectations reasonable, and know that your own commitment to nurture your child toward independence is what will correct the situation. You want the best for your child, and the best includes experiencing the pleasures of friendship and romantic love. Nurture independence, don’t enable unhealthy dependence.”” [Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Socially anxious individuals often hide their distress, claiming contentment, which can mask underlying avoidance of rejection and scrutiny. Parents must recognize this denial, intervene early, and foster independence rather than enabling dependence. **In simple terms:** Anxious people deny problems; parents must act early to build independence. Key Takeaway Intervene early, encourage healthy social connections. Themes parenting mental health social independence relationships Mood concerned hopeful determined Type advice motivational psychological When to use this quote - family counseling - school settings - peer groups - therapy sessions - parent‑child discussions Key Concepts avoidance denial social anxiety developmental psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can you gently confront denial without alienating your child? - What steps can you take now to promote healthy friendships? A Different Perspective Change is harder later; waiting for a natural “phase” may never happen. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anxious Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxious-child-4656357/) [Anxious People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxious-people/) [Child Independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child-independence-4696649/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Friends Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends-parent-4696648/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Nurture Independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nurture-independence-4696650/) [Peer group](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peer-group/) [Romantic love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romantic-love/) [Socially Anxious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/socially-anxious-855723/) [Three things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three-things/) ## Related quotes > [“ Social Skills Training Social skills training is based on the belief that socially anxious people lack certain social skills, such as how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-moehn/social-skills-training-social-skills-training-is-based-on-the-belief/) [Heather Moehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-moehn/) > [I was so completely anxious before I had a child, but now my biggest worry is something happening to her, so anything other than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-friel/i-was-so-completely-anxious-before-i-had-a-child-but-now-my-biggest/) [Anna Friel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-friel/) > [“ Anxiety and the Social Process Generally, in life, we only make progress when we are willing to take risks. 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