Yesterday at the gym, this guy was benching without a spotter.
I was on the elliptical when I heard a loud boom as his weights came crashing to the floor.
Someone rushed to help him and he looked violently embarrassed.
I’ve been there. We all have.
I could only imagine what was going through his head. I tried to put myself in his shoes.
“Everyone thinks I’m an idiot or I’m weak or I’m a loser…”
But my immediate reaction to seeing this:
Oh shit, that guy dropped the bar. Hope he’s all good.
Then I went right back to focusing on my cardio.
That’s when I was reminded that when something embarrassing happens to you, it’s highly likely that no one else really cares. They definitely don’t care as much as you do in the moment.
Don’t believe me?
What are some cringe memories you have? You know, the ones that make you contort your face or audibly groan.
Now, think about an embarrassing memory someone else has.
Much harder, right? That’s because we’re almost always focused on ourselves and what others think about us.
I spent half a second thinking about that dude who dropped his weights. Then I went right back to looking at myself in the mirror to make sure I looked okay.