--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For the social phobic, any kind of…" description: "\"“For the social phobic, any kind of performance—musical, sporting, public speaking—can be terrifying because failure will reveal the weakness and inade..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88c/scott-stossel-12031_confidence_for-the-social-phobic-any-kind-of-perfor_1155214.png" --- # For the social phobic, any kind of performance—musical… ![“For the social phobic, any kind of performance—musical, sporting, public speaking—can be terrifying because failure will reveal the weakness and inadequacy within. This in turn means constantly projecting an image that feels false—an image of confidence, competence, even perfection.” quote by Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88c/scott-stossel-12031_confidence_for-the-social-phobic-any-kind-of-perfor_1155214.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88c/scott-stossel-12031_confidence_for-the-social-phobic-any-kind-of-perfor_1155214.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88c/scott-stossel-12031_confidence_for-the-social-phobic-any-kind-of-perfor_1155214.png) > ““For the social phobic, any kind of performance—musical, sporting, public speaking—can be terrifying because failure will reveal the weakness and inadequacy within. This in turn means constantly projecting an image that feels false—an image of confidence, competence, even perfection.”” [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People who fear social evaluation hide behind a false confident persona, fearing that any failure will expose their perceived inadequacy. **In simple terms:** Social anxiety leads to pretending confidence to hide insecurity. Key Takeaway Recognize and accept vulnerability. Themes social anxiety performance self‑image Mood anxious reflective Type advice psychological When to use this quote - public speaking - team sports - musical performance - job interviews Key Concepts psychology self‑esteem impostor syndrome Questions to Reflect On - How does pretending confidence affect your relationships? - What steps can you take to practice authentic vulnerability? A Different Perspective True confidence requires confronting, not masking, fear. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Image Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/image-confidence-3283693/) [Phobic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phobic-505819/) [Phobic Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phobic-kind-3283692/) [Social Phobic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-phobic-1641189/) [Speaking Terrifying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speaking-terrifying-3283691/) ## Related quotes > [“Therefore, while social phobics and patients with AvPD both avoid out of fear, the social phobic’s fears mainly arise in the clinical context of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-kantor/therefore-while-social-phobics-and-patients-with-avpd-both-avoid-out/) [Martin Kantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-kantor/) > [“When your social anxiety becomes so great that you have to avoid the specific situation that causes it, you are dealing with a social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/when-your-social-anxiety-becomes-so-great-that-you-have-to-avoid-the/) [Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/) > [“I smile gently while churning inside and thinking about what I’ve learned is a signature characteristic of the phobic personality: “the need and ability”—as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/i-smile-gently-while-churning-inside-and-thinking-about-what-i-ve/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [I had massive anxiety as a child. I was in therapy. From 8 to 10, I was borderline agora-phobic. I could not leave my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-stone/i-had-massive-anxiety-as-a-child-i-was-in-therapy-from-8-to-10-i-was-2/) [Emma Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-stone/) > [The word 'phobic' has its place when properly used, but lately it's been declawed by the pompous insistence that most animosity is based upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/the-word-phobic-has-its-place-when-properly-used-but-lately-it-s-been-3/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [My dirty little secret is I don't drive at all, though I have my license and I renew it every five years. I'm phobic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-leavitt/my-dirty-little-secret-is-i-don-t-drive-at-all-though-i-have-my/) [Caroline Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-leavitt/) > [I don't camp; I don't hike. I hate bugs, and I'm phobic of snakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-grann/i-don-t-camp-i-don-t-hike-i-hate-bugs-and-i-m-phobic-of-snakes/) [David Grann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-grann/) > [I'd been conflict-phobic my entire life because I didn't want to lose my inner core of peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/i-d-been-conflict-phobic-my-entire-life-because-i-didn-t-want-to-lose/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [So many things have happened to me in my life that I could be phobic about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/so-many-things-have-happened-to-me-in-my-life-that-i-could-be-phobic/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [I actually am a phobic twitchy sort of nervous guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bob-thornton/i-actually-am-a-phobic-twitchy-sort-of-nervous-guy/) [Billy Bob Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bob-thornton/) > [I grew up very self-loathing. I was a phobic. I had anxiety. I had panic attacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/i-grew-up-very-self-loathing-i-was-a-phobic-i-had-anxiety-i-had-panic/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [I'm very phobic about flying, but I'm also drawn to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/i-m-very-phobic-about-flying-but-i-m-also-drawn-to-it/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [The word phobic has its place when properly used, but lately it's been declawed by the pompous insistence that most animosity is based upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/the-word-phobic-has-its-place-when-properly-used-but-lately-it-s-been-2/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“The word 'phobic' has its place when properly used, but lately it's been declawed by the pompous insistence that most animosity is based upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/the-word-phobic-has-its-place-when-properly-used-but-lately-it-s-been/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [I was a commitment-phobic person. I never thought that I will settle down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-was-a-commitment-phobic-person-i-never-thought-that-i-will-settle/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) ## More by Scott Stossel > [“According to recent epidemiological data, the “lifetime incidence” of anxiety disorder is more than 25 percent—which, if true, means that one in four of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/according-to-recent-epidemiological-data-the-lifetime-incidence-of/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [I wanted to put a human face on anxiety disorders. I thought people who suffer from anxiety might recognize themselves and gain some comfort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/i-wanted-to-put-a-human-face-on-anxiety-disorders-i-thought-people/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [Barbra Streisand developed overwhelming performance anxiety at the height of her career; for 27 years she refused to perform for the general public, appearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/barbra-streisand-developed-overwhelming-performance-anxiety-at-the/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [All the textbooks talk about avoidance as a classic hallmark of anxiety disorder. So you need a therapist who is sympathetic and understanding but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/all-the-textbooks-talk-about-avoidance-as-a-classic-hallmark-of/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [During high school, I would purposely lose tennis and squash matches to escape the agony of anxiety that competitive situations would provoke in me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/during-high-school-i-would-purposely-lose-tennis-and-squash-matches/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [“The truth is that anxiety is at once a function of biology and philosophy, body and mind, instinct and reason, personality and culture. Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/the-truth-is-that-anxiety-is-at-once-a-function-of-biology-and/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [It's possible that I would have been better suited to being a penguin keeper. Starting out, I thought being a writer would enable me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/it-s-possible-that-i-would-have-been-better-suited-to-being-a-penguin/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [Generally speaking, the anxiety will pass, which is easy for me to say when I'm not in the middle of an anxiety attack. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/generally-speaking-the-anxiety-will-pass-which-is-easy-for-me-to-say/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [I have, since the age of about 2, been a twitchy bundle of phobias, fears, and neuroses. And I have, since the age of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/i-have-since-the-age-of-about-2-been-a-twitchy-bundle-of-phobias/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [When I was 5 and my sister was 3, we went on a family trip, and she ate cheese off the floor at an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/when-i-was-5-and-my-sister-was-3-we-went-on-a-family-trip-and-she-ate/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [People who suffer from anxiety are very good at hiding it. That can often be a contributor to the anxiety because the gap between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/people-who-suffer-from-anxiety-are-very-good-at-hiding-it-that-can/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [“Studies of the DSM-II found that when two psychiatrists consulted the same patient, they gave the same DSM diagnosis only between 32 and 42…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/studies-of-the-dsm-ii-found-that-when-two-psychiatrists-consulted-the/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [An astonishing portion of my life is built around trying to evade vomiting and preparing for the eventuality that I might.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/an-astonishing-portion-of-my-life-is-built-around-trying-to-evade/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [“Hippocrates, the ancient Greek doctor, concluded in the fourth century B.C. that pathological anxiety was a straightforward biological and medical problem. “If you cut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/hippocrates-the-ancient-greek-doctor-concluded-in-the-fourth-century/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [I am living on the razor's edge between success and failure, adulation and humiliation - between justifying my existence and revealing my unworthiness to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/i-am-living-on-the-razor-s-edge-between-success-and-failure-adulation/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) [Explore all 56 Scott Stossel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) ## More Confidence quotes > [The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-cia-has-concluded-in-a-secret-assessment-that-russia-intervened/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [I was just confident my work was good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bunny-yeager/i-was-just-confident-my-work-was-good/) [Bunny Yeager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bunny-yeager/) > [I am confident when I take the penalty otherwise I would pass for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-fernandes/i-am-confident-when-i-take-the-penalty-otherwise-i-would-pass-for/) [Bruno Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-fernandes/) > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [My friend made me a leather dress for the MTV awards. It gives you confidence, wearing something you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-deeley/my-friend-made-me-a-leather-dress-for-the-mtv-awards-it-gives-you/) [Cat Deeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-deeley/) > [Confidence comes from cutting yourself some slack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-daly/confidence-comes-from-cutting-yourself-some-slack/) [Tess Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-daly/) > [I would rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/i-would-rather-regret-the-things-that-i-have-done-than-the-things/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [You want to remain hungry and stay in a good place as a competitor; at the same time, you want to be confident but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-odom/you-want-to-remain-hungry-and-stay-in-a-good-place-as-a-competitor-at/) [Lamar Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-odom/) > [Get to know yourself well enough to not only expect, but also control, your response to the unexpected challenges in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/get-to-know-yourself-well-enough-to-not-only-expect-but-also-control/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I look for someone who has confidence. Also someone whose energetic, cause I'm NOT that energetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-jonas/i-look-for-someone-who-has-confidence-also-someone-whose-energetic/) [Nick Jonas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-jonas/) > [Why shouldn't I be confident? I'm well educated, I can deliver a line, and I have more than three expressions. That's good right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonakshi-sinha/why-shouldn-t-i-be-confident-i-m-well-educated-i-can-deliver-a-line/) [Sonakshi Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonakshi-sinha/) > [I was very confident on the stage, and I stood out in a red gown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-johnson/i-was-very-confident-on-the-stage-and-i-stood-out-in-a-red-gown/) [Nicole Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-johnson/) > [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) [Browse all 11,290 Confidence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“For the social phobic, any kind of performance—musical, sporting, public speaking—can be terrifying because failure will reveal the weakness and inadequacy within. 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