Hi Alistair, maybe you are already behaving like they are going to respond to you this way? Maybe it is like a self-fulfilling prophesy type thing? People like to be around others who like themselves and who are proactive and fun. If you already act like they are going to reject you this is exactly what they are going to do. You can turn this around if this is what is going on. Start acting like the person that you want to be (which is really who you are) and you will fully become that person. Doing it this way is taking your identity into your own hands and being in control of it. The other way is letting others determine your identity and you are going along with it.