The first para is a logical conclusion i came to when i was about 17 and was foundational to how i modelled the world and people around me.

It came about via this thought process:

I was always stressing out about what people thought of me (typical highschool nerd insecurity)

Then i realized that:

a) it seems likely my brain is not that different from other people

b) everyone else is likely worried about what other people think of themselves

This led me to the conclusion that *noone* is thinking about you. They are continually thinking about themselves and what other people think of them.

This has driven my lifestyle of doing whatever i want without really worrying about what people think of me.

It is only just recently where i realized there is another important aspect of this I have been missing: how we can flip this self-focus amongst the population to make a positive asymmetric impact.