Well, this is actually my first post, so bare with me here.

I'm 17 and I live in a very populous city, which is NYC. There are a shit ton of girls here, so finding one, or talking to any for that matter, shouldn't be a problem, but that's exactly my problem! My problem is that I'm not very independent when it comes to approaching girls--my results are usually better when I'm with a group of friends or when a friend of mine hooks me up with a chick. I'm attractive but I'm not the best looking guy so getting girls shouldn't really be a problem, not trying to be cocky or anything. I think I just have low self-esteem. It's rare for me to walk in the street alone and actually initiate a conversation with a chick(actually, I've never done that), and it's bothering me because I have friends who can do it with no problem, almost as if it's second nature to them! All of my past relationships or encounters with chicks have been due to: 1) Facebook 2) A friend of mine hooked me up 3) Girls approaching me themselves

If anyone can help me that would be greatly appreciated.

Pick up is about learning to break out of your comfort zones and do things you have never done before to get a better life for yourself.

I understand that but my fear is rejection. Especially in public. I don't want to say something that might come off as being too 'offensive' to a girl. I've witnessed it many times and the embarrassment is just not worth it sometimes, especially if the chick is hot.

There are 7.2 billion people on this planet. You will probably never see that girl again if she rejects you. The chances of getting murdered in your life time are 1 in 18000.....

So I'll ask... What exactly are you afraid of?

Good question. I guess I never thought of it that way. Hm.. I suppose I need to improve myself rather than creating all of these self-imposed obstacles. So how can I improve my social skills then, or rather, what do I lack that I can fill in?