when you meet new people? ?
such as online dating
I think that depends on how you see yourself in relation to them on a social or desirability scale, also what you want or hope to flow from the meeting ... If that makes sense
There's also cultural differences between societies ... A social pecking order ... My belief that is quite strong in your country but not so here ... All of these factors do affect how you feel ... For myself, yes, sometimes I do get nervous but not often .. in my view any decent person will help you by smiling and encouraging you to relax and just be yourself :)
That's totally understandable and I'm sorry you had to go through that... Hopefully you're in a safe place now ... I think after such experiences you need to take baby steps ... Just little things at first to get your confidence back ... I smile at people as I walk down the street, it's amazing how many people smile back... In our culture is considered ok to do that and it's confidence building when people do respond by smiling back
I don't do online dating. However I don't get nervous when I meet new people. If you are not confident and a bit assertive and independent I don't think meeting people to date online is a good idea. It's iffy and creepy to start with and people (especially women) need to be able to handle themselves if they are going out to meet a stranger face to face.