--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some social phobics find even positive…" description: "\"“Some social phobics find even positive attention to be aversive. Think of the young child who bursts into tears when guests sing “Happy Birthday” to h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/scott-stossel-12031_fear_some-social-phobics-find-even-positive-a_3057875.jpg" --- # Some social phobics find even positive attention to be… ![“Some social phobics find even positive attention to be aversive. Think of the young child who bursts into tears when guests sing “Happy Birthday” to her at a party—or of Elfriede Jelinek afraid to pick up her Nobel Prize. Social attention—even positive, supportive attention—activates the…” quote by Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/scott-stossel-12031_fear_some-social-phobics-find-even-positive-a_3057875.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/scott-stossel-12031_fear_some-social-phobics-find-even-positive-a_3057875.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/scott-stossel-12031_fear_some-social-phobics-find-even-positive-a_3057875.jpg) > ““Some social phobics find even positive attention to be aversive. Think of the young child who bursts into tears when guests sing “Happy Birthday” to her at a party—or of Elfriede Jelinek afraid to pick up her Nobel Prize. Social attention—even positive, supportive attention—activates the neurocircuitry of fear. This makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. Calling positive attention to yourself can incite jealousy or generate new rivalries.”” [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. Positive social attention can trigger fear responses because it may signal competition or jealousy, activating ancient brain circuits that associate attention with threat. **In simple terms:** Even praise can feel threatening. Key Takeaway Recognize and reframe supportive feedback. Themes psychology evolution social anxiety attention Mood anxious reflective Type analytical insightful When to use this quote - public speaking - celebrations - award ceremonies - team meetings - social media interactions Key Concepts neurocircuitry jealousy competition evolutionary psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does praise affect your sense of safety? - What strategies help you accept compliments? A Different Perspective Positive attention may still cause anxiety for some individuals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention Aversive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention-aversive-5116430/) [Aversive Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aversive-think-5116432/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Happy birthday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-birthday/) [Jealousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jealousy/) [Neurocircuitry Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neurocircuitry-fear-5116431/) [Nobel prize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nobel-prize/) [Positive Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-attention-633787/) [Social Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-attention-2018156/) ## Related quotes > [Our phones have created what I like to call SADD - Social Attention Deficit Disorder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/our-phones-have-created-what-i-like-to-call-sadd-social-attention/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > [“One of the study’s major findings was that in the successful relationships, positive attention outweighed negative on a daily basis by a factor of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-maurer/one-of-the-study-s-major-findings-was-that-in-the-successful/) [Robert Maurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-maurer/) > [The simple act of paying positive attention to people has a great deal to do with productivity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-simple-act-of-paying-positive-attention-to-people-has-a-great/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [I'm proud to use my talent to bring positive attention toward my country, that's definitely good for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koffee/i-m-proud-to-use-my-talent-to-bring-positive-attention-toward-my/) [Koffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koffee/) > [I am able to really enjoy the positive attention I receive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doutzen-kroes/i-am-able-to-really-enjoy-the-positive-attention-i-receive/) [Doutzen Kroes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doutzen-kroes/) > [Negative or positive attention - I think it's all great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffree-star/negative-or-positive-attention-i-think-it-s-all-great/) [Jeffree Star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffree-star/) > [“Minorities received the highest level of positive attention and the greatest influence on the private opinions of members of the majority and on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jacoby-brown/minorities-received-the-highest-level-of-positive-attention-and-the/) [Michael Jacoby Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jacoby-brown/) > [There's positive attention and there's negative attention - negative attention is easy, positive attention requires actual hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-cole-smith/there-s-positive-attention-and-there-s-negative-attention-negative/) [Zachary Cole Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-cole-smith/) > [Well I don't know how many pounds make up a ton, Of all the nobel prizes that I've never won, And I may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-partridge/well-i-don-t-know-how-many-pounds-make-up-a-ton-of-all-the-nobel/) [Andy Partridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-partridge/) > [The citation for the 1971 Nobel Prize in Chemistry reads, 'for contribution to the knowledge of electronic structures and geometry of molecules, especially free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-herzberg/the-citation-for-the-1971-nobel-prize-in-chemistry-reads-for/) [Gerhard Herzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-herzberg/) > [As a Nobel Prize winner I cannot but regret that the award was never given to Mark Twain, nor to Henry James, speaking only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/as-a-nobel-prize-winner-i-cannot-but-regret-that-the-award-was-never/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“There was a Princess Somebody of Denmark sitting at a table with a number of people around her, and I saw an empty chair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/there-was-a-princess-somebody-of-denmark-sitting-at-a-table-with-a/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [I was asked the other day if I would be interested in the Nobel Prize, but I think that for me it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-was-asked-the-other-day-if-i-would-be-interested-in-the-nobel-prize/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Research is the live heart of the scientific life ... Greatness of position, respect for past accomplishments, the Nobel Prize itself -- none of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivian-gornick/research-is-the-live-heart-of-the-scientific-life-greatness-of/) [Vivian Gornick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivian-gornick/) > [Physicist Isador Isaac Rabi, who won a Nobel Prize for inventing a technique that permitted scientists to probe the structure of atoms and molecules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-saul-wurman/physicist-isador-isaac-rabi-who-won-a-nobel-prize-for-inventing-a/) [Richard Saul Wurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-saul-wurman/) ## 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. 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