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You Matter Less Than You Think.
It’s really difficult to shake the habit of believing that you matter. Half the time you don’t even realise that you’re doing it. And even when you do, it’s so compelling to just go with it. Pretty much every aspect of the experience of being you is perfectly set up to convince you that you’re some kind of big deal.
I mean, let’s start with the obvious stuff. Every single thing that has ever happened in your life has happened from your perspective. Your friends are your friends. Your family is your family. It’s so natural to see the world this way that it feels strange, even offensive, whenever you’re referred to as so and so’s friend, or the person who works at such and such a place, or as anything other than the beating heart at the centre of whatever is going on.
Naturally, it’s not just you that seems important, the things that happen to you seem to matter that much more too. That minor inconvenience you suffered at the supermarket or the mild headache you’ve had since breakfast? How could they fail to be important if they’re happening to the most important person in existence? All of your opinions make perfect sense without you having to listen or show empathy or make any effort to think about them so how could they fail to feel right? Your feelings are…
