FWIW, as an extrovert, I’m also always questioning how people perceive me. I get really nervous in social situations (which surprises most people who know me); it’s just that my response to those nerves is to try to charm everyone. Which means I often feel like a blowhard who’s doing a performance, and I worry about…

There’s a bit more to it than that, though I agree “self-branding” sounds like “endouchebagging” unless you’re really using a hot iron to burn a mark on your hide.

I think the world has room for all different personality types. We straightforward folks get in the most trouble, but some of us give the rest a bad name 'cause if messed up, they'll use the truth like a bludgeon and say "I'm just calling it like I see it! No varnish!" ... or have zero empathy and won't admit it("oh,…

Isn’t another way to look at this like.... “Actually try being the person you think you are.” I get that it is way easier to take if you look at this like people are misunderstanding you, and you just need to be better at projecting things.

First of all, LOVE Heidi Grant Halverson. I have her book about goal-setting and it’s great. Second, I think she’s 100% right about “leading” with the characteristics you think you have. What I feel like she’s really describing is the on-going path to self-awareness. As you become more self-aware, you start to realize…

First thought: Most people seem to have a better impression of me than I do of myself, so no need to mess that up!

Great read. Caused me to reflect on my past and how far i’ve come with dealing with my shyness, and how i still have ways to go to continue to get over this. It wasn’t until my mid-20’s-ish that I started interning at a recording studio (mandatory to graduate) that forced me to run into a lot of different kinds of…

I’ve watched people literally have a meltdown and get fired, or slowly melt down over the course of a few weeks. They missed the diplomacy part, because they were clearly passionate about their jobs. They just didn’t know how to focus that passion away from anger.

For a lot of people, it’s being overly self-conscious, a fear of stepping on toes or being out of line. It’s okay to be concerned about others’ feelings, just don’t over analyze things and let problems fester.

I’m related to Jefferson Davis, the president of the confederacy, and a number of my relatives were in the KKK. Not something I’m proud of. But I’ve found the best way to face having slave-owning, racist ancestors is to unwaveringly support the rights of african-americans and other minorities, instead of wallowing in…

my brother always has so many stories. He just finished working on an HBO pilot and even though there was no real on-set drama this time, the amt of $$ they waste (he does accounting for these shows) on bullshit is insane. One time he had to do a purchase order for like 300 ships in bottles when they only needed like…

Most of the rest of it just confirms this article; he said that O. Russell got in the actors’ faces all the time, screaming, and that at one point Amy Adams lost her shit and told him to fuck off in front of the entire crew because he wouldn’t get off her back, and she like cried and everyone was like aaaahhhh!

Great piece! I’ve lived 18 years in southwest Missouri and 6 in northwest Arkansas, so the Ozarks either way you cut it, and I probably won’t be done with school here for another 3. It is hard to reconcile being queer, disabled, female, etc but I’ve always loved it here and the grand total of 1 summer I lived in…

The badlands are gorgeous!

YES. Also the Badlands! I always tell foreigners that foreigners go to NYC/Chicago/Miami/LA/etc on vacation, but real Americans go to South Dakota on vacation.

I’ve had a similar experience - I was giving a mock argument in front of a panel of female attorneys and one said to me during critical feedback that she didn’t like me because I was too skinny, too pretty, and my voice was too high which made me seem like a “female stereotype.” I held it together but very much went…

I always thought that was a great scene in mean girls, where all the plastics start gathering around a mirror and stating things they hate about their looks and then they all turn to Lohan expectantly, waiting for her to say something negative about herself. It felt so absurd, but also based so thoroughly in truth.

My family never commented on physical appearances growing up, and because I was an awkward kid I didn't really interest boys which I assumed was because I was ugly. Which didn't bother me at the time but I was always weirded out when an adult would compliment my looks. I thought they were just being polite to my…

I read a study once that showed that most people rated themselves as more attractive than strangers would. (found a link! http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/roger-covin/ph… ) I think it has something to do with the optimism bias (the same kind of bias as when most people think they're smarter or better drivers than…

So this is interesting for me. I've been on both ends of the spectrum throughout my life, and I think now pretty firmly in the middle. When I was in junior high and high school, I thought I was prettier than what was deemed attractive at that time (basically general tiny-ness that is common in junior and high school…