Is shyness a genetic disease?

no

There is considerable evidence to suggest that yes, it is, at least in part.

For years (since around the 1950s), psychologists and psychiatrists have labeled that part of the personality which is (likely) genetic as the temperament, and there are nine key facets that make up the temperament. One of these facets, called Initial Reaction, deals with whether someone will deal with new environments or people in a positive or negative way. In a negative reaction, an infant, for instance, will shy away from a stranger, grab its mother for reassurance, or carefully study a situation, whereas the infant with a positive reaction will boldly approach.

So if that part of the temperament forms the basis for how shy we are, and if the temperament itself is formed by our genetic makeup, then shyness can be said to be genetic. Not exactly a disease, however.

Of course, this is still just conjecture and theory, as it can never be positively proven, but over the last half century, the evidence has been steadily mounting.

All I meant was it’s not a “disease”. shyness is not a disease.

EDIT – Here’s some studies on the genetic nature of temperament for further reading:

http://ohioline.osu.edu/flm02/FS05.html http://www.psychpage.com/family/library/temperm.html http://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/FourTemps/19090304p01.html

I was shy in high school and I am very sociable now. Its not genetic, I’m tellin ya. It’s also who you’re around. There are people I can go totally crazy around and others I just sit in the corner. Nobody in my family is like that. I don’t think I’d call it a disease.

Like mikeh said, there are studies on temperament that show it is indeed genetic… it is not something you can simply “get over”.

No, you meant it’s not genetic. That’s why you said, and I quote: “Its not genetic, I’m tellin ya.”

It’s cool. No need for backpedaling.

No, it’s a personality trait.

Dude, get over it.