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Comment by dschiptsov | Hacker News Reader

Shyness is an effect, not a cause.) And it is an effect of many different causes. It could be inability to cope with other people due to some deficits, as in a mild form of autism know as Asperger syndrome, or it could be a result of a childhood traumas, or, which is usually the case, some genetic predisposition and environmental causes and social deficits and some kind of feedback loops leading to a repetitive behavior.

Asperger's is a learned behavior, which could be unlearned and retrained by a set of CBTs, while severe forms of autism, which are caused by some neurological deficits in much greater extent that just environmental feedback, cannot be altered by mere CBT.

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Bingo. Shyness is an effect of the situation. Maybe the topic is not conducive to conversation, or maybe the people are drab and gossipy, and the so-called "introvert" is not having it.. Shyness is rarely a solid trait and more over a symptom of an overlying conflict/rift with social interaction. Everyone likes to socialize, that is only _human_.

That's the first I've heard of Aspergers being a learned behaviour. Can you link somewhere that I can read more about that.

I have nothing to link, but myself fighting with it my whole life.)

Maybe you are fighting the wrong battle. Instead of trying to "unlearn" Aspergers, perhaps you should accept it and fight for understanding by others.

It is a nice wording, but in reality people who have it without knowing they have it are really miserable and unhappy ones.

Usually people have no idea, and actively reject any possibility that something is wrong with them, instead of with the world.

Asperger's could be treated by CBTs, which any professional western psychologist (or eastern teacher) will tell you. Usually, you is the only one who could help you, especially in ignorant, third-world country.

Just because you are able to overcome something doesn't mean it was learned in the first place.

In some sense everything is learned, from the ability to hold ones head and stand erect (every child learns this by trial and error) to habits and behavioral patterns.

Social habits (or skills as we call them) are definitely learned rather than hardwired.

Reading facial expressions, maintaining eye-contact, following other's gaze, catching other's emotions is hard-wired, while patterns of using such abilities (habits) are learned and could be altered.

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