The problem isn't YOUR self-awareness, it's everyone else's LACK of it.
this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2026
623 points (99.8% liked)
Microblog Memes
11804 readers
1916 users here now
A place to share screenshots of Microblog posts, whether from Mastodon, tumblr, ~~Twitter~~ X, KBin, Threads or elsewhere.
Created as an evolution of White People Twitter and other tweet-capture subreddits.
RULES:
- Your post must be a screen capture of a microblog-type post that includes the UI of the site it came from, preferably also including the avatar and username of the original poster. Including relevant comments made to the original post is encouraged.
- Your post, included comments, or your title/comment should include some kind of commentary or remark on the subject of the screen capture. Your title must include at least one word relevant to your post.
- You are encouraged to provide a link back to the source of your screen capture in the body of your post.
- Current politics and news are allowed, but discouraged. There MUST be some kind of human commentary/reaction included (either by the original poster or you). Just news articles or headlines will be deleted.
- Doctored posts/images and AI are allowed, but discouraged. You MUST indicate this in your post (even if you didn't originally know). If an image is found to be fabricated or edited in any way and it is not properly labeled, it will be deleted.
- Absolutely no NSFL content.
- Be nice. Don't take anything personally. Take political debates to the appropriate communities. Take personal disagreements & arguments to private messages.
- No advertising, brand promotion, or guerrilla marketing.
RELATED COMMUNITIES:
founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
This might be part of the issue but in reality high self awareness can also lead to excessive overthinking, ruminating, self criticism and hypervigilance. This is mechanics at play that are the root of some people suffering depression. By no means does this mean to become less selfaware rather to become aware of this pattern and recognise these thoughts: become more aware of ones self awareness.
Not just self awareness but also awareness about state of world. Existential dread is not anxiety.
Existential dread is not anxiety.
What's the difference? Scale?
Rational concerns about the very real impending ecosystem collapse vs irrational concerns like a bear attacking me in my living room. I do not live in an area with bears. To be clear I'm not actually concerned about bears necessarily but my body is in full fight or flight survival mode while I'm just trying to catch up on my shows.
Yeah this, but most of society seems to happy to ignore those very real and rational existential threads.
Existential dread is not anxiety.
Uhh… yes it is? I mean, what emotion would you otherwise attribute to it? Because dread as an emotion—also literally in the term “existential dread”—can be directly described as an anticipatory anxiety about future events.
The two are extremely closely related if not referring to the exact same feeling. They really only differ in context, and even then only semantically.
It's still paranoia even if someone is really out to get you. A little paranoia is healthy IMO, as long as it isn't causing a significant disruption to your life for no good reason.
Same thing with anxiety. Being aware of how things can go wrong is an important survival skill IMO but not if it paralyzes you or takes over all your thoughts for no good reason. That last bit is important. Spending all your effort storm proofing your home while a massive storm is coming in is smart. Spending 6 hours rocking back and forth on a chair because you're worried about what that storm will do isn't.
Develo self awareness for self awareness. Self-awareness²
Excellently put.
load more comments
(3 replies)
I often marvel at the way some people can just bobble along through life bumping into things.
Yeah, the amount of times I've had the thought of "I'd be so much happier if I was just a fucking idiot..." after dealing with morons who are somehow still better off than I am is way too high.
I always worried that professional mental health care would be difficult for me, considering that I've spent so much time self-reflecting and coming up with strategies and mechanisms to get by. The first psychiatrist I ever worked with was blown away when we talked - she even asked for a hug when our session was over.
There's definitely something to be said for having self-awareness. The struggle comes in when you're so aware and already trying so hard that even the professionals have no notes to add.
Maybe they asked you for the hug to make you feel better. Were you self aware of that possibility?
Quick, undermine the positive thing they thought about themselves!
I’m just trying to be realistic. That should be an important part of self awareness.
Of course, but considering the context, it doesn't seem likely.
That and "you are every intelligent, I've never before had a patient who understands and knows so much, you can go so far if you just get past these issues."
Ok, thanks, that only makes it worse. The "issues" are everything, they're not just small bumps in the road. And you putting that kind of weight on me, that I'm expected to go way beyond just having a functional life, just makes makes it even harder to aim for a possible goal. I just want to get to a place where cleaning, hygiene, doing the most badic things expected work without feeling like it takes up more than twice the battery I have.
It feels so disrespectful.
I know that feeling. But then they only get to hear my version and my point of view and what is if I'm wrong and the rest of our session is based on false assumptions...
I've never been but I've always assumed that therapy would involve asking you questions to determine how accurate your own take on things actually was to break down any false assumptions or change perspectives that may be causing you issues. I could be wrong though that's just how I approach dealing with my own problems.
That is a big part of it.
I am the person from the meme, therapy doesn't benefit me because I am already working on my less than perfect behavior and already do all the things I'm supposed to when interacting with other people based on what information I have.
load more comments
(2 replies)
Isn't that called "hyperreality" and it can lead to a kind of reality induced psychosis, because you're talking about reality in a way others can't necessarily see/accept.
This was actually something I was warned against when I first started into meditation and studying Taoism. You do need to stay somewhat attached to society’s perceived reality if only to be able to speak and relate with others on that plane of reality.
You can choose to fully see past the manufactured reality we’ve been given, but then it’s hard to participate when money and material goods holds no real value for you. Your living space holds no real value. Your job holds no real value… You might see how this could snowball quickly into no longer paying for your living standard and becoming homeless.
No one is saying you can’t, but that is something to be aware of on that path.
load more comments
(3 replies)
Not really. Hyper reality is where you hallucinate patterns in reality where none exist
Introspection leads down a different path. The equivalent would be finding patterns in yourself that don't exist... But that's just the human condition. And dispelling your self illusions is a big part of truly understanding yourself
You can't spell "awareness" without "war"
Not relevant or otherwise useful, but true 🤷🏻
A fun lyric from a song I like called Pretending by Orla Gartland.
"All the people over there They don't seem to have a care I'm so fucking self aware, it's exhausting."
Jusy listened to this the first time! I like the video too. Cute song
Any chance you can make me less self aware? Maybe a frying pan to the face or something...ignorance is bliss as they say.
Fairly simple home remedy for that
Nervously chuckles in social anxiety. 😭 👌
"...got anything for that, doc?"
Lobotomy?
Stupid mother fuckers (the scientific term) are rarely aware of the negative impact they have on those around them. Case-in-point: some lady at a green light just turned her hazards on and sat there blocking traffic for some unknown reason when we were coming home today. She's way-too checked out to actually think about the people inconvenienced by her behavior or she'd be too horrified by what others thought to do so. I mean, some people are genuinely uncaring about others, but I think the majority don't think past their own action rather than being sociopaths. They just aren't thoughtful people.
You sure she just chose to do that on a whim and wasn't experiencing functional issues with her vehicle? Depending on the context, you might be doing what you're accusing her of doing by focusing on how it affected you rather than why she might have done it.
Not that it's impossible that she was just being selfish or unaware, but that "for some unknown reason" stood out to me.
Functional issues with her vehicle?! What, did the front fall off?
Maybe she noticed the brake is not working properly and decided to not risk it. Maybe her car didn’t move when she pressed the accelerator. Maybe she couldn’t get into gear when driving a manual. Maybe the steering wheel locked up. I think there might be about a thousand issues why someone puts on hazards and can’t move the car (safely) anymore.
Or even a "less good" reason that she didn't understand well enough to know it's not a "just park it in the middle of an intersection" kind of situation, like her check engine light came on.
load more comments
(1 replies)
You’re right, but your example is putting you in the category of people you’re explaining. You couldn’t find a single better example? Really?
Here’s one: People at the metro will try to get on before others get off. They will just push their way past them like if they don’t get on right this second then the train will leave without them. It makes it harder for everyone else and the whole scenario is easy to see from all perspectives, yet they still miss it. No guessing reasons, just moronic selfishness.
Me_irl
more self awareness is nice but too much can make you a hermit
.
view more: next ›