Part of being human is worrying about what other people think.
We’re all born like that, and there’s a special word we use for someone who doesn’t care about what people think.
It’s not the same as not caring how you make other people feel: that’s a sociopath.
And not caring about other people at all? Psychopath.
But when we see someone dancing in public or talking to strangers or just being their full selves because they don’t care if other people think it’s weird? That’s confidence.
The next time you start worrying about what other people think, get specific.
Look around you. Look out the window at the hundreds of people out there milling around the daily business.
And ask yourself, “Who cares? “
As soon as you try to get specific about what other people think, you’ll find that you have no idea. And you probably don’t care about that person’s opinion at all.
They’re definitely not thinking about you.
Pick someone else. The same thing happens.
And that’s when you realize that we’re not worrying about what other people think.
We’re worried about what we think other people think.
And they’re probably just thinking the same.