Truth alert: If you were the only person on the planet, you would seriously have no fear — and let go completely — of what others think. Consider just one example: You wouldn’t care nor worry about what you look like.
You would never give a second thought to how:
- Tall you are
- Thin you are
- Shiny your hair is
- Straight your teeth are
- Clear your skin is
Now, of course this goes beyond our appearance. Since the advent of social media, especially, we are now consumed with how we’re perceived in almost every area of life:
- Money
- Relationships (from significant other to friendship circle)
- Career
- Home
- Spirituality
- Health
- Wokeness
Why we have fear over what other people think.
It is believed that this particular kind of worry is internal, stemming from the inside. But actually, because we’re caring about what others think, it’s external.
Bottom line: As humans, we have a deep primal need to fit in, feel accepted and be loved. And oftentimes, this stems from crazy high expectations that start during childhood — whether self-inflicted or from a loved one (usually a parent).
But at what point does this fear become paralyzing?
When we filter ourselves and don’t take risks for fear that:
- We won’t measure up
- People will judge us
- We’ll do something wrong
How to get past it.
If you’re concerned about what other people think, here are some questions to ask yourself:
- What role does this person play in my life?
- How invested is this person in my success?
- What is the motivation behind someone sharing their opinion about me?
- How true is what we believe they’re going to say (how valid is their feedback / opinion)?
- What is the intent of this person’s feedback / opinion?
- Do I aspire to be like this person?
- Does this person know more than me?
- Is their opinion of me (or feedback) meant to lift me up or make me better?
For much more on this topic, like:
- Why it’s good, to a certain extent, we care what others think about us
- How our subconscious beliefs about ourselves play into this negative thinking pattern
- The hierarchy of people’s opinions in your life
Then, you must check out The Chalene Show episode below!
And don’t forget to subscribe to TCS for weekly shows dedicated to your crazy ridiculous most fulfilling happy life!
