It's true, I am. Or at least, I keep telling myself that in the hopes of shaming myself. There's this girl in my residence hall that I really like, and I just can't work up the nerve to go ask her out. I feel... well, like a coward. I know that I should just go and ask, because the worst she can do is say "no", which wouldn't really be the end of the world, and yet, I can't make myself go do it. So, have you ever had a similar problem, and how did you deal with it?

I didn't and I regret it still. My advice? Go to her and as you aproach shout "for Sparta!"

Well, I was involved in an orientation program here called "MasterPlan" and so was she. That's how we met. To make myself look even worse, we ate lunch together yesterday. I didn't ask or anything, she just waited for me to get my food and get through the checkout line and sat down with me. Which is why I'm really hating myself for being afraid to ask her because I already know that hse likes me, at least a little.

EDIT: Thanks ML, can I test that theory on you first?

My mind did horrible things with that phrase.

I don't think we share any classes, so unless I go up to her there'll just be chance meetings on campus. I hate my social ineptness.

Girls usually come and ask me; I don't have to any work. I do not understand these types of posts from the original poster.

For now, just concentrate on talking to her. When you are comfortable with that, you will move up or on.

'No' feels bigger and bigger depending on what it is denying. If you get 'no' at Heaven's gates, that pretty much blows. If you get 'no' when you propose a girl to marry you, that sucks. If you get 'no' for asking a girl out, that hurts.

But if you ask a girl to go hang out and she says 'no', it's not as bad. Find where you are comfortable and target that way.

I'm horrible at this game. I got my first real date as a backup through AIM. I was like, if we can't find anyone else to go to this with, we should go with each other. She agreed. We had fun. Then I asked her if she wanted to date later on. Just a movie or two, not "going steady" by any means. Then, at the end of the year, I asked her if she wanted to be a couple. It worked. Several years later I finally got the nerve to ask her to marry me. And now I'm a married man. Guess I'm not too horrible at this game...

[edit]typo

I shed a tear in sorrowful empathy.

(Well, not literally but theortidramatically I do)

Worst advice ever. I once tried being myself, but myself was an idiot.

[serious mode]

That's not the worst thing that can happen, though. The worst thing that can happen is not doing anything at all.

There's something that happens when we're about 5 or 6. We've been led by our own curiosity for a few years -- we tripped several times before we learned to walk, we spill all over ourselves trying to find our mouths (thank Zeus for the sippy-cup), and if we're really lucky, we've burned our hand on the coffee-maker (I know I did!) -- but no we're in school, and suddenly it's not okay to venture a guess. We raise our hand to answer a question we barely even heard, and we hear "No", and we shrug that off and try again, but it builds up and eventually we stop raising our hand because we're too scared to be wrong.

But there's hope yet! In games it's okay to be wrong, and it's okay to try anything -- it's more than okay, it's actually encouraged. When's the last time you sat down with a brand new game and thought to yourself "Okay, gonna go beat that final boss"? That curiosity just takes us over, and pretty soon we're breaking every barrel, opening every chest, and trying to jump every gap -- no matter how impossibly wide. And if we fail the first time, we'll try it again and again. And it's not embarrassing, it's fun to try to squeeze that extra foot out of your jump.

I'm not telling you to start breaking every barrel you see, but Epicurus was on to something. Life's an adventure, and if you aren't exploring every corridor, what the hell are you here for?

I don't think you're a coward; I think you just don't realize how much fun being wrong can be.

[/serious mode]

So, yaknow, go open her chest.

I don't what he meant by "go open her chest" but if it was what I'm thinking... that might be slightly illeagal in this country, unless she give consent.

She can do worse than that, like kick you in the groin.

@Mark Oates... Change youre avatar? Dont you dare remove those cute little sheep from this forum!

Ahhh... The 'just be yourself' advice. That is the most lame-assed advice you can give to someone. And no, her saying 'no' is indeed not the only thing she can do.

She can:

1. Kill you
2. Kick you in the groin
3. Kill your <pet type here>
4. Go out with your <enter brother/sister/cousin here>
5. etc.

[sarcasm]
If you want her to like you, you must know what kind of men she likes. And therefore, you must stalk here, follow her every move. Then when you know what kind of men she likes, go in for the kill. ( metaphorically speaking )
[/sarcasm]

OK, so its like this. In programming, thinking about something too much is bad. Right? Its better to have a bad program than no program at all. ( Well, this is not true in programming all of the time, but its true in most situations ). So, its better to have a bad response from her, than no response at all. At least youll know if she REALLY likes you... If the answer is no, youll have more time searching for another girl you like.

So, the 'cowardness' part. Act stupid. I once went biking and broke my arm... Why? Because I didnt think about the consequences. You should do the same. Just dont thkink about the 'no' or her boobs or anything else. Just do it!

Good luck!

I know someone who did just that (seriously). He got charged with assault mind you.

edit:
Whoops