You will become way less concerned with what other people think of you when you realize how seldom they do. - David Foster Wallace

For many of us it's a well worn thought loop, wondering how we are being perceived by others. While the human desire for attention and belonging probably comes from a good place; our social abilities and attention paid to our community have taken us very far as a species; it can also create great suffering in us.

The brutal truth is that most people are too self absorbed to notice you. Therefore, spending time worrying about their judgements of you is mostly a case of you telling fictitious stories in your head. The time would be better spent working toward your own goals and becoming a person that you might judge less harshly the next time you decide to look in the mirror.

The person spending the most time thinking about you is you. So have a little more compassion for yourself.