You probably wouldn't worry about what people think of you if you could know how seldom they do.
Interpretation
People often overestimate how much others think about them, and realizing this can reduce worry about their opinions.
Olin Miller's quote highlights the often-ignored truth that most people are too wrapped up in their own lives to concern themselves with others' opinions. By understanding that people tend to focus on themselves rather than evaluating us, we can free ourselves from unnecessary anxiety and self-consciousness, allowing us to live more authentically.
In practice
During a motivational speech about self-esteem, to encourage people to be themselves.
Let's tell the truth to people. When people ask, 'How are you?' have the nerve sometimes to answer truthfully. You must know, however, that people will start avaoiding you because, they, too, have knees that pain them and heads that hurt and they don't want to know about yours. But think of it this way: If people avoid you, you will have more time to meditate and do fine research on a cure for whatever truly afflicts you.
The world loves to be amused by hollow professions, to be deceived by flattering appearances, to live in a state of hallucination; and can forgive everything but the plain, downright, simple, honest truth.
I think it's easy to stop smoking; it's just hard not to commit a felony after you stop.
You have created your fears. And you can choose to lay them to rest. You have created your dreams. And you can choose to bring them fully to life.
When you surrender, the problem ceases to exist. Try to solve it, or conquer it, and you only set up more resistance. . . . The most difficult thing to admit, and to realize with one's whole being, is that you alone control nothing. . . .
The main thing, of course, always, is the fact that there is only one of you in the world, just one, and if that is not fulfilled then something has been lost. Ambition is not enough; necessity is everything.
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