When I took Social Psychology in college, I knew that the spotlight effect was something I wanted to create a larger conversation about.
“The spotlight effect is the phenomenon in which people tend to believe they are being noticed more than they really are. Being that one is constantly in the center of one’s own world, an accurate evaluation of how much one is noticed by others is uncommon. The reason behind the spotlight effect comes from the innate tendency to forget that although one is the center of one’s own world, one is not the center of everyone else’s. This tendency is especially prominent when one does something atypical.“ (Wikipedia)
I don’t remember the last time I went through a single day without worrying about something regarding my appearance. Whether it’s my hair not having enough volume, a pimple deciding it deserves its moment to shine, or my outfit being good, but not super good, there’s always a thought in the back of my head regarding the way I look. I automatically think, yes, every person that crosses my path will notice this one minuscule thing right away. Which, let’s be honest, probably isn’t true.
I’m sure all of us have one or two, or maybe even ten, insecurities that we can think of. I can tell you right away that my top three are my nose, my under-eye circles, and my stomach. But quite frankly, it depends on the day. And if you’re anything like me, your insecurities tend to make you fall victim to the spotlight effect.
Today, my under-eye circles are particularly annoying, so I’ll dive a little deeper into that insecurity for you. I literally came out of the womb with dark circles. The skin under my eyes is very thin and hollow, so no matter how much sleep I get, I always look exhausted. Although I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’ll probably always look like a Tim Burton character, I can’t promise I won’t get under-eye filler one day. And honestly, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.
I don’t know how many times I’ve heard my mom tell me, “no one notices that except for you.” But, try telling someone who was controlled by body dysmorphia throughout all of her teenage years, that no one notices that her hair is one shade of brown lighter than it should be.
Having this blog, I wanted to open up the conversation with different people and talk about how our insecurities make us feel, and ways we can embrace them. It’s funny how the first thing someone notices about you, is almost never what you’re actually insecure about.
I can’t wait to interview different people in my life regarding this topic, and really create something that I think can be special. I hope that through conversation and photos, I can help people in their journey of self-acceptance. If you want to be a part of this series, please feel free to reach out to me in the comments, through e-mail, or on Instagram!