When I was younger, before basic maturity and the particular psychological hurdles of learning empathy and understanding the vices of my personality, it was easier to seek out potential friendships and make time for others, even as a passive, introverted creative-type. It's odd to reflect on my past and feel jealous of how oblivious and anxiety-free I was during my immaturity, because after some years I became aware of my failures as a man and as a friend, and developed a potent fear of hurting those closest to me. The pendulum swung hard, and I regressed into an isolated lifestyle for the last four-ish years.

I'm still not sure whether it's my submissive proclivities, introverted personality, or past failures that specifically hinder me towards taking the steps to seeking and filtering out dommes for an enabling and future-oriented friendship, but

I'm writing here asking any subs whether they've overcome a similar difficulty, and what to look out for and practice to improve my social intelligence and emotional resilience as a shy submissive.