The Mind Is a Terrible Historian But a Fantastic Storyteller
Worrying is a very serious business (that your mind is currently making up)
Ever lie awake at 2:00 AM replaying that time you said “You too!” to a waiter who told you to enjoy your meal? Or maybe that joke you told in a meeting that landed with the thud of a dropped piano?
In those moments, your mind isn’t giving you a “record” of the event. It’s an Oscar-winning director taking a tiny, 3-second blip and adding:
A tragic soundtrack
Close-ups of “judgmental” faces that weren’t actually there
A script that says this defines your entire social standing
The “cringe” isn’t coming from what happened back then. It’s coming from the high-def movie your mind is projecting right now.
The good news? You don’t have to “fix” the past or “change” your personality. You just have to realize you’re watching a fictional drama. Your innate “okay-ness” is the screen the movie is playing on—and the screen is always perfectly fine, no matter how awkward the plot gets.
Next time the “Greatest Cringes” reel starts playing, remember: It’s just a storyteller telling a tall tale.
You don’t have to buy a ticket.