Why am I so shy around big crowds, but when I'm with one friend than I'm fine?

For me, at least, crowds are just overwhelming. There are so many people that can judge me, dislike me, and what not. When I'm with one friend, I know I'm not in their way or third wheeling. I know that they actually want to spend time with me. With a crowd, I don't have that reassurance. "They probably don't want me here; I should just go home." is constantly playing in my head when I'm with a crowd. Even if I know in my heart of hearts that that's not true, it's still there to worry about. That's my reasoning for being shy in a crowd, although it may be different for others.

Sometimes when a person is socially anxious your mind starts to think that big crowds are a chance you can embarrass yourself in front of more people but one on one it’s just more real to some people like there is no social barrier when you’re with 1 person.

It sounds like crowds can be overwhelming for you whilst you can feel much more comfortable with of few people that you know

Being shy around big crowds can be caused by anxiety or a phobia but when with a friend you know the person well and feel comfortable and confident around them

People are harder to read in a crowd. Its much easier to evaluate a persons expressions when its just one or two people vs. twelve of them.

We often find big groups to be daunting. If there are many people, especially if we don't know them very well, it feels like we have an audience, and the attention is completely on us, and when people are busy talking to other people we can feel too intimidated to start a conversation. When we're with just one friend, there's a 50:50 chance that you have to start the conversation, meaning that it's easier to talk to them because starting a conversation is usually the hardest part. It would also be more awkward if nobody said anything, and you don't feel like you have an entire audience, as there's just one person there. One thing's for sure, and that is that this is completely normal; many people prefer small groups of less than 3 people than large groups, and it's completely okay.

It may be social anxiety, however, when you're with your friend, you're closer and more comfortable with them than a big crowd of acquaintances or strangers.

I fully get what you mean by this . The reason for this is because you and your friend are fully cormfortable around eachother . And I’m big crowds you don’t really know anyone.

Have no fear, you are so not alone in this. When I'm with my friends, I can be super confident and laugh a lot and be generally merry, but put in a room full of strangers, and bam. I've turned into a sad little muffin who avoids eye contact at all costs. I feel like it's because I trust my friends not to judge me. I know they're not going to look at me and say "She is such a loser." I feel safe with them, like nothing can touch me, because I know they have my back. Lots of people, however, even people I'm acquainted with, can cause me to freak out that they're all silently judging me, or only pretending to like me. I feel like a lot of people have this issue, but try not to worry about it. Chances are, people are not trying to pick out your every flaw.

Sometimes being around a lot of unfamiliar people can be nerve-wracking and uncomfortable, they are strangers and therefore you might not know quite how to act around them, thus making you uncomfortable. When you are with one friend, on the other hand, they are a familiar person, and you know how you can act around them without offending or hurting them.