How to gain confidence using a worry cure developed by understanding reality. Do we see things as they really are or does our mind fool us?

There are a fair few courses around on self help. One I have become aware of covers confidence, self esteem and shyness with the angle of how to overcome worrying what people think of you.

Does any one really worry what others think of us? Maybe yes, on very specific occasions, a job interview, impressing the boss for a pay rise or a first date, but not on a continual basis. Perhaps we were more susceptible to this feeling when younger, but today, no, I think we are all fairly confident. Or are we really? Maybe we think we are, at least on the surface, but, do we have deeper down feelings along these lines that go unnoticed? If so they can prevent us from taking advantage of opportunity.

The gentleman who has put this course together seems a highly confident person but admits to these issues in his past. We know ourselves how we felt in the past, but, have we overcome this worry or is there that residue still lurking within us?

Perhaps an awareness of these teachings can help us. The argument of these teachings puts our worry, not only of what others think of us but worries of life also, down to the fact that we do not see reality or that we misinterpret reality. What?

Of course reality is what we see, is it not? What we see is real, maybe even under the influence of intoxicating substances. We all see the same thing, do we not? How can we survive if this is not the case? What a mixed up bunch we must be if we see different things.

Well, we do not always see the correct version of reality, the actual what is, is. Our sensory inputs are taken and interpreted into our own version of reality, a version we believe to be real. This version may be the same as other people hold, or very different depending on our individual circumstance and perception at the time. Our minds can be fooled, overtly and covertly.

Some examples.

For those with analog watches have you noticed that if you look after a long period the second hand stays still for a couple of seconds or so? It must have stopped working. In that mind frame even the length of time is undeterminable for certain. But then it starts ticking along nicely. The watch was working. I was not, I had been optically deluded.

Has anyone seen this? The other night I walked out onto the balcony and instantly saw a cloud of about 2 degrees of arc, a hand span, disappear over roof tops at jet stream velocity. All other clouds of the same type and altitude were scudding along gracefully and slowly. Last night, and I am sure clouds have got it in for me, one cloud was receding fast to the north while all others scudded west. There had been no intoxicating substances, honest. Again, optically deluded, or it’s a Vietnam thing.

I know this is not normal natural cloud behaviour but an instant affect on the mind through changing environment, inside to outside. It is explainable by time of evening, refraction of light and varying colour tones of buildings giving a first sight apparent increase in cloud size. These are obvious illusions, false realities. My mind in its frame at the time was fooled, but I knew it.

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