The master seemed untouched by other people’s opinions. His disciples asked how he had gained that freedom.
He described three stages of life. Until twenty, he did not care what anyone thought of him. After twenty, he worried endlessly about what his neighbors thought. After fifty, he finally noticed that they hardly thought about him at all.
Source: Anthony de Mello, “Change,” One Minute Wisdom, PDF p. 102. Retold.
What it argues
Much social anxiety is sustained by an imaginary audience. Other people are usually occupied with the same protagonist: themselves.
Use it for: embarrassment, reputation anxiety, the spotlight effect, and freedom from approval.