Want a secret trick to stop fearing public judgment and free yourself from dependence on others’ opinions?
Learn not to take yourself and your self-image too seriously.
When you take yourself seriously and cherish sacred identities such as "I'm great," "I'm smart," or "I'm successful," any criticism aimed at these images causes pain, anxiety, and a desperate urge to protect your carefully constructed self-image.
We all wear masks and create personas.
We become so identified with these personas—"I'm a successful entrepreneur," "I'm a responsible employee," "I'm a loving daughter," "I'm a strict father"—that we completely forget they’re merely masks, personas, or roles.
By refusing to take yourself seriously and cultivating the ability to laugh at yourself, you develop immunity to external influence. Suddenly, it doesn’t matter what people think, because even you don't take yourself seriously.
Now, if someone laughs at you, you can join them in laughter and genuinely have fun.
Self-irony is the strongest defense against outside influences.
But there’s a catch: achieving freedom from the influence of others' opinions and gaining the ability to laugh at yourself requires monumental inner work. You’ll need to meticulously examine and reprogram your ego, heal the wounds that cause exaggerated reactions to criticism and judgment, cultivate self-worth, and build internal resilience to remain steady amidst any storm.