hi alpha
i think you are more than shy, you are sensitive as well. your uncle made some off hand comments because he obviously doesn't think very highly of you. you say he has treated you poorly all your life. did you expect him to say something positive? what you have to do is realize that this is about his character and has nothing to do with you. he is just a bad man. as you said, you are someone of good character whose father is proud of you. your uncle is just a bad apple so you should not be taking what he has to say seriously. i think it probably hurts that your dad did not defend you though. the best thing to do is act as if your uncle doesn't exist. he does not know you for who you really are so his opinion does not count. welcome to psych central. you will find we have several forums where you can post about your concerns and receive feedback from other members. you will get a lot of support here. again, welcome