In 2023, clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson stated on Joe Rogan's podcast, "Fear of judgment is the poison that 99% of people drink, hoping that others will die."
But what if the "antidote" is simpler than it seems?
Psychology Today magazine published a study: people who stopped adapting to other people's expectations increased their income 7 times in 2 years. How is this possible?
Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman has uncovered the mechanism: “When you fear evaluation, the amygdala shuts down the prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for creativity.”
Lady Gaga's example confirms this. In 2019, she left pop music for jazz, lost 60% of her fans, but a year later she won an Oscar.
"I am no longer a hostage to numbers. Now I am a number," she said in an interview with Vogue.
How to stop being afraid
Oxford University study suggests 'public shaming method'
Participants deliberately did "strange" things for 30 days: sang on the subway, wore pajamas to the store. After a month, their anxiety levels dropped by 73%.
Writer Mark Manson writes in The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: “The fear of being judged dies when you become the joke.”
What is the danger?
Without clear boundaries, the method becomes self-destructive. Psychotherapist Esther Perel warns: “If you go against everyone in order to rebel, this is a new form of addiction.”
Elon Musk's story teaches balance: He ignores criticism about Twitter, but listens to SpaceX engineers.
What happens if you start today
In 2024, blogger Emma Chamberlain launched the #DontCare flash mob: participants posted photos of their "ridiculous" moments. 45% of them changed jobs, 20% moved abroad. But 15% faced bullying.
Freedom is not the absence of fear, but the right to choose whose fear will destroy you.
