The Studio

What is it that constructed the social norms that causes so many of us to have such strong fears of embarassing ourselves in front on total strangers whom we will never meet again? Sometimes, I think the level of fear is a bit irrational.

Let me paint a scenario for you...perhaps you can offer me some insight to what I may be missing. Here's a situation I'm sure we've all experienced. Imgaine you're at a park with your best friend, sitting on a blanket reading and you see someone across the lawn tossing a frisbee around with his/her dog. For whatever reason, you're very drawn to this person, yes, even attracted to them. You spend the entire afternoon distracted, unable to read -- you can hardly take your eyes off this person nor keep from thinking of them. You wonder if they're seeing anyone, and you would like to have the opportunity to perhaps grab a cup of coffee with them. But, try as you might, you're paralyzed by this fear of perhaps rejection, or looking like an idiot to this person you don't even know. And although you beg and plead, your best friend also refuses to approach this stranger to solicit their name/number/dating status or offer up your name/number/dating status.

In this situation, I think it's safe to say that neither you nor your best friend have anything to lose. Neither of you know this person, and it's highly unlikely that either of you will ever see them again. On the contrary, there's quite a bit to be gained. So, my question is WHY are both of you immobilized to approach this benign stranger?

Is it fear, is it pride, is it something else? Don't you think it's silly that we all go through this?

You took your coat off and stood in the rain,
You're always crazy like that.
And I watched from my window,
Always felt I was outside looking in on you.
You're always the mysterious one with
Dark eyes and careless hair,
You were fashionably sensitive
But too cool to care.
You stood in my doorway, with nothing to say
Besides some comment on the weather.

[Pre-Chorus 1]
Well in case you failed to notice,
In case you failed to see,
This is my heart bleeding before you,
This is me down on my knees, and...

[Chorus]
These foolish games are tearing me apart,
And your thoughtless words are breaking my heart.
You're breaking my heart.
You're always brilliant in the morning,
Smoking your cigarettes and talking over coffee.
Your philosophies on art, Baroque moved you.
You loved Mozart and you'd speak of your loved ones
As I clumsily strummed my guitar.
You'd teach me of honest things,
Things that were daring, things that were clean.
Things that knew what an honest dollar did mean.
I hid my soiled hands behind my back.
Somewhere along the line, I must've gone
Off track with you.

[Pre-Chorus 2]
Well, excuse me, guess I've mistaken you for somebody else,
Somebody who gave a damn,
Somebody more like myself.

[Chorus]
You took your coat off,
Stood in the rain,
You're always crazy like that.