Goddamn!
Social anxiety is such a scam!!
You think boring ass men who think their every opinion is correct feel social anxiety when they say some misogynistic bs? No! You think creeps who think everyone they approach should be in bed with them feel social anxiety when they start aggressively flirting with a woman who really isn't into it? No!
People are out there being complete shits and making everyone uncomfortable and they feel no social anxiety about it at all. So why should I, someone with generally pretty good intentions, be so fucking terrified that maybe something I say will make people think I'm a bit weird or a bit awkward? People who are genuinely uncomfortable to interact with are out there claiming so much space and I'm desperate to claim none in case the slightest thing goes wrong somehow.
It's not just that things are going to be completely fine when I open my mouth (they probably are going to be!). It's not just that even if they aren't completely fine no one will even remember a couple weeks from now (they probably won't remember my minor mistakes!). That stuff is all super true! But! It's that there is a moral imperative to reclaim space from those people who have no social anxiety but would actually benefit from thinking a little bit before opening their mouths.