Sometimes the most significant data may be found in the intricacies of how people view you. For example, you may consider yourself to be adaptable and open-minded, but others may label you as wishy-washy or indecisive. Or perhaps you believe you're not judgmental, but others say otherwise. Finding out what others think about you can help you understand yourself better.
The first is simply to ask them directly. You could say something like "I'm interested in learning more about how people see me. Is there anything specific that you think I should know?"
If you want to know how others perceive you without being direct, you can use clues from their comments. For example, if someone calls you "fascinating" or "intriguing," they are probably giving you positive feedback. On the other hand, if they just say "okay" or seem confused by what you said, then they likely have an opinion on you that you don't want to hear.
Finally, you can also learn about how others view you by observing your interactions with them. If someone smiles at you when they talk to you, this is a good sign that they like you. If they avoid looking at you or speaking with you, this is a bad sign that they feel threatened by you.
When you conceive of yourself as creative, passionate, intriguing, useful, one-of-a-kind, and authentic, your life will reflect those qualities. Thinking highly of oneself does not need being arrogant or snobbish. It can be appreciated by others when shown in a generous way.
The more you think highly of yourself, the better you will feel about yourself. And that is what really matters.
Think highly of yourself. You won't go wrong with that policy.
Seeing a therapist for some personality tests is one approach to gain an idea of who you are. Personality tests are often made up of a series of short questions with no right or incorrect responses. A personality test may require you to look at a set of photographs and explain what you perceive in them.
It was a dream come true, and every bump on the paper-airplane-like flight to and from the center of the nation was worth it. More on that later... but the trip got me thinking about things people who read my blog might not know about me. Inspired by Ashley's article and US magazine, here are 25 facts about myself that you may not know: 1.
Freud claimed decades ago that people deal with bad self-perceptions by viewing others as having particularly high levels of that same negative self-perception. Assume you are feeling dishonest. You are thus more prone to see other individuals as dishonest, which makes you feel more honest yourself. This mechanism allows us to maintain a certain level of honesty, even if our initial perception was inaccurate.
It is also possible to look at this from the opposite perspective. That is, it is possible to believe that others are dishonest even if one's own perception is accurate.
In either case, people tend to hold on to their beliefs about others'. If they think others are dishonest, they will attempt to avoid being taken advantage of. If they believe others are honest, they will try to give others the benefit of the doubt.
These strategies work well in daily life. But if someone believes themselves to be untrustworthy or unworthy, they may begin to feel guilty for their perceived faults or errors. This can lead them to focus on their shortcomings, which may cause them to feel even worse about themselves.
People can also cope with a negative view of themselves by trying to change themselves for the better. They might take steps to improve some aspect of their lives - their social skills, for example - and hope that others will notice and trust them again.
Face it, if you are concerned about what other people think of you, your life will become about their opinion, and you will begin to act in ways that are inconsistent with your true self. This causes a great deal of stress and has an influence on your relationships, health, and peace of mind.
The more you focus on others' opinions of you, the less you pay attention to yourself, your feelings, and your needs. You stop living your own life and start living to make others happy or unhappy depending on how you feel about yourself. This is not only a disservice to yourself, but also to those who care about you.
The first step toward changing any habit is to recognize it. So take time to think about how worrying about what other people think of you affects your life. Then work on replacing these thoughts with ones that give you strength instead.
How Others See You
The ultimate reality is that it is perfectly fine—even beneficial—to be aware of and concerned about how others see you... as long as you don't lose sight of yourself. However, if you believe you lay too much emphasis on attempting to satisfy others, it's time to shift your focus to establishing your sense of self.