Approach Anxiety is the Boogeyman

How is it that no one questions the idea of Approach Anxiety? As my title says, I think the Approach Anxiety is like the boogeyman. It doesn't exist, but we hype it up so much that it might as well exist since we fear it so much (and thus, in my opinion, cause it to manifest). It doesn't help when you have such respected gurus like Mystery who not only accept the notion, but even tries to justify it scientifically. Listen, I think Mystery is great, the man is an absolute genius and any day of the week I'd take lessons from him, that does not mean he is an evolutionary biologist nor a psychiatrist.

Let me present a hypothetical situation. Let's say we took a some children, and raised them in such a manner so that they had no fear of approaching people (this could be done by isolating them and structuring their interactions in such a manner so as to foster an openness), and then at the age of 18 we integrated them into society. They would not have a problem approaching! If you don't believe me that is possible, how is it that some people can be 'taught' to virtually feel no pain, yet we can't teach some kids to not feel anxiety?

I won't delve into the whys and why nots of how Approach Anxiety comes about, however, what I am saying is that don't assume it has to be a part of your life. If you have anxiety, follow that anxiety and see to where it leads. There will be an underlying reason as to why you have it. Further, if you believe you do not have to have it, eventually you will internalize that belief, and I believe it can be removed from your life. I am currently doing this, and I have had less anxiety. I am not at the point where it is completely gone, yet the way stuff is advancing now it is a strong possibility I will not have anxiety.

What this really comes down to is not taking what you hear for granted. Just because some guy went out for so many nights a week and now teaches bootcamps doesn't mean you have to take everything he says as the word of God. These gurus have loads of information to share, but don't let them transfer beliefs unto you that will hinder you.

Passion

I was recently watching AC Milan play against Manchester United to see who would go to the Champion's League final, and I recalled my times seeing games in Europe. The passion the fans have is amazing, they sing all game long, follow their team from country to country, and even get into fights in the stadiums over their team. Granted, fighting is a bit extreme, but I think this shows just how passionate they can be, especially Italians. As soon as I saw my first game live, I was hooked. The next game I saw, which was AC Milan versus Inter Milan (one of the biggest derbies, as they call it, in the world), I sang the whole game, and danced with the people next to me.

When I look here at American sports, this passion is often lacking. This lack of passion isn't just in sports, it's in all aspects of Americans' life. It is true that perhaps Italians aren't organized like the rest of the industrialized world, and that they often aren't as dedicated to work as they usually are celebrating some vague holiday, or spending their money on clothes and going out. I do not advocate this extreme, yet I think we can definitely learn how to copy some of this passion to our own lives. Ever since spending more time in Italy, I have started to become more passionate about my life, and have since taken a greater interest in having more fun in life (this indirectly led me to this community).

What I ask to you, if anyone reads this :P, is are you passionate about something? Whatever you choose to do, are you really getting into it? A typical Italian lives at home with his mom until his 30s (like some of my cousins), doesn't have much money since he spends it all on clothes and money, yet he gets laid like none other. This isn't an anomaly, it is often the intangible things that women take interest in. Even outside of women, the ability to be passionate about what you do will make every endeavor you undertake that much more meaningful, and fun.



P.S. If you wanna know what they say let me know :)