Shyness is the causeof much unhappiness for a great many people.Shy people are anxious andself-conscious;that is,they are excessively concerned with their own

appearance andactions.Worrisome thoughts are constantly occurring in their minds.What kind ofimpression am I taking? Do they like me?Do I look stupid?Am I wearing

attractive clothes?

It is obvious thatsuch uncomfortable feelings must affect people adversely.A person'sself-concept is reflected in the way he or she behaves,and the way a personbehaves

affects otherpeople's reactions.In general,the way people think about themselves has aprofound effect on all areas of their lives.

Shy people,havinglow self-esteem,are likely to be passive and easily influenced by others. Theyneed reassurance that they are doing"the right thing".Shy people arevery

sensitive tocriticism;they feel it confirms their inferiority.They also find it difficultto be pleased by compliments because they believe they are unworthy of praise.Ashy

person may respondto a compliment with a statement like this one,"you are just saying thatto make me feel good.I know it's not true."It is clear that,whileself-awareness is a

healthyquality,overdoing it is harmful.

Can shyness becompletely eliminated,or at least reduced?Fortunately,people can overcomeshyness with determined and patient effort in building self-confidence.Since

shyness goes hand inhand with lack of self-esteem,it is important for people to accept theirweaknesses as well as their their strengths.For example,most people would liketo

be"A"studentin every subject. It is not fair for them to label themselves inferior becausethey have difficulty in some areas.People's expectations of themselves must be

realistic.Living onthe impossible leads to a sense of inadequacy.

Each one of us is aunique,worthwhile individual. We are interested in our own personal ways.Thebetter we understand ourselves,the easier it becomes to live up to our full

potential.Let's notallow shyness to block our chances for a rich and fullfilling life.Which of thefollowing does NOT help shy people overcome their shyness?

A.Buildingself-confidence.

B.Accepting bothweaknesses and strenghs.

C.Being realistic.

D.Setting goalshigh.