Link: https://old.reddit.com/r/LifeProTips/comments/1uli5kc/lpt_most_people_are_too_focused_on_themselves_to/

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The original was posted on /r/lifeprotips by /u/mounir2508 on 2026-07-02 13:22:24+00:00.

There’s a concept in psychology known as the SPOTLIGHT EFFECT. The spotlight effect says that we all tend to assume people are paying far more attention to us than they actually are.

Think back to the last time you got a terrible haircut. Chances are, you walked around all day assuming everybody was staring at that tragedy of a mop on your head. But the reality is, most people didn’t noticen and even if they did, they probably didn’t care.

The problem is, understanding the idea alone isn’t enough. You have to get out into the world and experience it for yourself. You have to challenge your own spotlight effect.

Now, does that mean you need to put on a chicken suit and walk down the Venice Boardwalk? Of course not. But it does mean you have to do something. You have to challenge yourself. You have to put yourself in public and step into uncomfortable situations until you prove to yourself, conclusively, that nobody is paying that much attention , and nobody really gives a damn.