Problem isn't just the fear of rejection. There are legitimate reasons why some people get rejected more than others, whether it's looks, social skills or just lack of shared interests.
If you are part of those people, the "return on investment" in terms of socialisation diminishes - it's not about fear per-se, it's about the rational decision of not sinking time into an endeavour with a high failure rate if you have other, better options.
This is a good point. There’s definitely a different baseline ROI for different people.
But still, I was surprised how much of “how to make people like me” was pretty explicitly learnable.
But your point does still stand. If you’re happy where you are - you have “other, better options” - def doesn’t make sense to invest in something where you’re not gonna get the return you want.
If you are part of those people, the "return on investment" in terms of socialisation diminishes - it's not about fear per-se, it's about the rational decision of not sinking time into an endeavour with a high failure rate if you have other, better options.