the difference between being shy, introvert, antisocial, asocial and having social anxiety
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Briefly, what they have in common: each manifests in the company of others.
Shyness is a behaviour, arguably in one’s control, with a tendency/predisposition to draw attention away from oneself.
Social anxiety is a disorder, classified in the DSM V, arguably not in one’s control, characterized by certain avoidance of behaviours (any of: public speaking, initiating conversation, a performance of any kind, etc.) with the fear/anxiety out of proportion to the actual threat, causing such situations to be endured with severe anxiety (e.g. sweating, shortness of breath, tunnel vision, crying, freezing etc.) or avoided altogether. The symptoms must be present for min. 6 months, and MUST interfere with one’s function.
Those would be the two extremes, in my view. Introversion is best understood as the preference/tendency to restore of one’s energy with internal “rechargers” (self-defined) rather than external stimuli. The focus is on *preference*. It should not have physical/psychological manifestations, which would then move it into the category of “disorder.”
Asocial and antisocial are interesting. Linguistic connoisseurs will recognize the difference between the prefixes “a-” and “anti-“. “A” means without socialization, or an avoidance thereof, and can be used to describe someone (or oneself) who does not wish to engage socially with others.However, the word we often reach for instead is “antisocial.” You’ve heard it. You’ve used it. But “anti-” means against, that is, *against* society. Against societal norms, customs, and expectations. We use this word to mean “I don’t feel like talking to anyone right now,” but antisocial more accurately describes sociopathic behaviour, and is found centrally in another DSM V disorder – Antisocial Personality Disorder – which is characterized by disregard for the welfare of others, lack of empathy, unfettered violation of rules and laws, etc. Which most people aren’t, but unfortunately some powerful people are…
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