- I am not this way because I was made fun of as a kid, I was never made fun of, in fact anyone who tried got back way more than they could have expected from a quiet kid in verbal abuse. I am a very passionate speaker when I need to defend myself.

- I am not this way because of my upbringing, both of my parents and my sister have charismatic personalities, which is why I believe I have it within myself somewhere.

I think the reason I am this way is because I am being strongly controlled by pride. I feel like I have to act this way because I've always acted this way. I can tell that my parents don't like that I am quiet and don't have anything to say, and after all these years I feel like I can't start acting differently now, it would be to embarrassing.

What i'm saying in short is my biggest obstacle to become a more social person is my pride, I can't stand the idea of people patting me on the back saying things like "ohhhhh you've finally come out of your shell good for you". Any advice on how to overcome this?

-------
Skill mostly.