I’ve realized something about myself recently, I tend to feel intimidated by people, not necessarily because of how much money they make or what they’ve achieved, but because of the image I create of them in my own mind.
This became very clear when I met a distant cousin. I had heard so much about him beforehand, how he’s a genuinely nice person, well-read, well-spoken, well-mannered, has an amazing job, and is generally very respected. Even before meeting him, I had already built this larger-than-life image of him in my head, and I felt intimidated.
And when I finally met him, that internal perception actually affected my behavior, I found myself struggling to talk normally, feeling slightly anxious, and overthinking everything I said.
Before this, I thought I only felt intimidated by people at my “same level” when they were doing better than me. But now I’m realizing it’s more about how I mentally place people on a pedestal, even when they haven’t done anything to make me feel that way. It’s almost like I create this pressure for myself.
reality, he’s 16 years older than me, of course he’s going to be more settled, more experienced, and more polished. But instead of seeing that rationally, I end up comparing and shrinking myself in the moment.
So I’m looking for book recommendations that deal with:
- overcoming not getting intimidated by anyone, even if they are your idol or anything
- building confidence and a grounded sense of self
- or changing how we perceive others and ourselves
Would love suggestions that are practical or psychologically insightful rather than just generic self-help
thanks in advance
by Novel_Business_4101