Honestly I agree, at least in regards to myself, I can't speak for anyone else. The truth is that I'm terrified to be myself around others sometimes because I'm scared to stutter. I have this view that stuttering makes me some sort of freak or weirdo, and that maybe that's how people will perceive me. I imagine a lot of us feel that way about it, and that's why we try to hide it. I have been trying to get outside of my comfort zone, and it seems to be working. It's obviously a slow process, but some progress is better than no progress.