For me it was not so much fear of women themselves, or even rejection, but simple fear of change. I couldn't bring myself to do something that I hadn't done before, because it "wasn't who I was." It seemed inconceiveable to me that I could be the type of guy that could use kino, for instance. For some reason I always had strong mental barriers when it came to touching or showing affection. All these things sprang from a combination of low self esteem, a desire for external validation, and a belief that my personality and behavior were unchangeable; I never really even saw self improvement as a realistic option before finding this site.