of being in a plane crash is almost identical (close to zero) whether you ﬂy or not! The 
same may be said of public speaking, attending parties, and other social situations. The 
risk of actual threat or danger is signiﬁcantly less than socially anxious individuals usually 
assume. In fact, the long-term consequences of avoiding social situations are often far 
greater than the risks of confronting these situations.
Exposure to feared situations and feelings is a very powerful method of learning that 
avoidance is neither necessary nor helpful in the long run. By confronting your fears, you 
will discover that many of your anxiety-provoking beliefs and interpretations are untrue 
or exaggerated. In addition, your interpersonal skills will improve as you will have more 
opportunities to practice various types of social interaction and performance. In other 
words, not only will you become more comfortable making small talk, giving speeches, 
or dealing with conﬂict situations, you will also become more effective and competent 
at mastering these challenging situations.
There are three main types of anxious behaviors that we will review here. Each of 
these is a potentially harmful habit because it prevents your fear from decreasing over 
the long term. These behaviors include (1) avoiding feared social and performance situa -
tions, (2) avoiding feared sensations and feelings, and (3) subtle avoidance strategies and 
safety behaviors.