everyone's just as petty as I am
So, I remember angst-ridden self-conscious adolescent days, and everyone trying to console me, saying, no, they're not all looking at you, they're not all thinking you're stupid, they're thinking about themselves and how they feel that everyone is looking at them and thinking they're stupid. A classic study in the intro psych textbooks involves some student walking into a class with a gaudy Barry Manilow t-shirt, and no one even notices. See now? People aren't as bad as you thought. They're not out to get you and point out your flaws.
Yeah, well, sometimes there are counterexamples. Ever have one of those times when you're trying to see the best in people, and it turns out that your optimism was misguided? For example, the other day, I was at the gym, running on the treadmill. After a few minutes this guy gets on the treadmill next to me and starts running. Now, I'm keeping up a fairly brisk pace, I'm feeling good about myself, and I notice the guy occassionally adjusting the speed of his treadmill, moving it up a few notches. And I impulsively think: this guy is trying to compete with me. O the irrationality of it all. Right? Right? So, I spend the remainder of my time on the treadmill silently lecturing myself on the fact that the whole world is not one big competition. And then, as soon as I stop the treadmill, what happens? The guy next to me immediately stops too. My interpretation: He was getting worn out but didn't want to stop until I did. Maybe I'm wrong. But I wonder....