It’s impossible to see yourself as others do.

Not merely because the medium is imperfect, but, when it comes to ourselves, we process what we see differently than everyone else in the world does.

We make this mistake with physical mirrors as well as the now ubiquitous mirror of what people are saying about us behind our back on social media. We misunderstand how we look on that video or how we come across in that note.

When we see a group photo, we instantly look at ourselves first. When we pass a mirror on the wall, we check to see if there’s parsley stuck on our teeth, yet fail to notice how horrible that camel’s hair jacket we love actually looks on us. When someone posts a review of something we’ve built, or responds/reacts to something we’ve written online, we dissect it, looking for the germ of truth that will finally help us see ourselves as others do.

No one understands your self-narrative, no one cares that much about you, no one truly gets what it’s like to be you. That germ of truth you’re seeking isn’t there, no matter how hard you look in the mirror.

You’re not as bad (or as good) as you think you are. @ThisIsSethsBlog (Click to Tweet!)

*Originally published on sethgodin.typepad.com

Seth Godin has written eighteen books that have been translated into more than thirty languages. Every one has been a bestseller. He writes about the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, marketing, quitting, leadership, and, most of all, changing everything.

Image courtesy of Nicole Mason.