Fear is an emotion that everyone has felt at one time or another. The most common fears are those of spiders, snakes, and heights. However, the list of fears that people suffer from is almost endless!

When you are afraid of something, you tend to avoid that thing, don’t you? For example, if you are afraid of heights, you will naturally avoid high places. And if you are afraid of snakes, you’ll skip the reptile house at the zoo. But what do you do if you are afraid of other people? People that are shy aren’t necessarily afraid of others, but strangers can make them really nervous.

There’s a plant that can be found in nature that responds exactly the same way shy people do when they feel nervous. Due to its behavior, it’s no surprise that the Mimosa Pudica has been nicknamed the “sensitive” plant or “shy” plant. It has pretty pink or purple fluffy-looking flowers, and leaves that are highly sensitive to touch. If disturbed in any way, the leaves automatically fold in on themselves. This response helps protect them from predators, as the sudden movement of the leaves can scare away unwanted visitors.