Here’s a quiz to gauge your level of shyness:
To use this quiz, rate your answer to each question according to the scale below:
Write “0″ next to the question if the answer is “never.”
Write “1″ next to the question if the answer is “seldom.”
Write “2″ next to the question if the answer is “sometimes.”
Write “3″ next to the question if the answer is “often.”
Write “4″ next to the question if the answer is “always.”
This is not a scientific inventory, but it may help you pinpoint the specific problems shyness causes you.
- Do you feel anxious around new people?
- Is it a struggle for you sometimes to think of things to say to a new acquaintance?
- Is it difficult for you to keep a conversation going once it’s been started?
- Do you ever trip over your tongue or stammer when trying to talk to someone you don’t know well?
- How often do you feel you have little in common with the people you meet?
- Do you ever have trouble talking even to people who share your interests?
- Do you sometimes become tongue-tied even when you were sure you had something to say?
- Do you ever think of a conversational topic after the opportunity to use it has passed?
- Do you ever feel like you’re not a “member of the gang” when you’re with a group of associates?
- Do you feel that people consider you as serious, cold, aloof?
- Do you tend to avoid parties because you often end up sitting by yourself?
- Do you feel guilty when you try to behave in a more outgoing manner-as if you’re somehow being phony, or not expressing “the real you?”
- Do you have trouble speaking in front of groups?
- Do you find that other people more often remember your name than you remember theirs?
- Do you fail to have as expressive, confident-sounding voice as you would like?
- Do you fail to smile or laugh as often as you would like?
- Do you ever stand stiffly or fail to look relaxed when around other people?
- Do you have trouble making as much eye-contact as you feel you should?
- Do you have difficulty making friends?
- Do you go out on fewer dates than you would like?
- Does talking to a member of the opposite sex cause you anxiety?
- Does talking to a handsome or pretty member of the opposite sex cause you anxiety?
- Do you have trouble asserting yourself when somebody tries to take advantage of you?
- Do you have trouble knowing how to respond when somebody makes a wisecrack or smart-alecky remark at your expense?
- Does asking a favor of others cause you difficulty?
- Do you have difficulty refusing requests of you for favors?
- Do you have difficulty giving or receiving compliments?
- Do you sometimes have trouble knowing how to end a conversation gracefully?
- Do you feel most people just have a compulsion to fill silence with empty chatter?
- Do you believe that the more you talk, the more chance you’ll have of saying something foolish, so it’s better to be silent so people will just assume you’re intelligent?
SCORING: It is possible to score as high as 120 on this quiz and as low as 0, the higher the score, the greater being the degree of shyness. Very few, if any, people will score perfectly at either of the two extremes. Still, the higher your score is, the more concentration you will have to devote to overcoming your shyness. This quiz is for determining not only your shyness level, but for getting a handle on exactly what areas of shyness are a problem for you, so that you can begin to go about working on those aspects of your shyness.
