Why do most people care so much about what others think? Are they afraid of society norms?

It was the first time I wore a saree in college. Excited yet nervous, I draped myself in my mother’s teal-blue saree, which she had lovingly ironed and handed over with that proud twinkle in her eye.

So the next time society glares your way, ask yourself: is it really worth giving your peace to their fleeting thoughts?

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Look for the 'Other Dipper' this summer: How to find Ursa Minor, the Little Bear with a little help from the North Star - Space

And so should we.

That moment, I realized something profound—most of the people staring weren’t even judging; they were just... looking. And the ones who judged? Well, they went on with their day just as I went on with mine.

“Did I drape it wrong? Does it look too plain? Do I even look good?”

Is Russia now too weak to save the Assad dictatorship in Syria again?

The problem with caring too much about what others think is that we hand over our control to people who might not even notice us the way we think they do.

I was ready to bolt when my friend walked up to me, grinning ear to ear. “You look like a dream,” she said, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Because, trust me, the world moves on a lot faster than we think.

The FC Bayern squad for the Club World Cup - FC Bayern Munich

As I walked into the college, every pair of eyes seemed glued to me. Some admiring, some smirking, and a few whispering. My palms were sweating, and my steps faltered as my mind spiraled into a series of anxious thoughts.

Ah, society and its norms—always looming, always judging, isn't it? Let me take you back to an incident that forever changed how I view this question.

Are we afraid of society's norms? Maybe. But more often than not, we fear the stories we write in our heads about those norms.

What is a fun psychological trick to try on someone?