You At The Center Of Your Universe

Every person experiences life from the center of one private universe. We see through our own eyes. We hear thoughts nobody else can hear. Our memories, fears, plans, and small daily concerns naturally feel close and important. This can create a strange illusion.

Because I am at the center of my experience, it is easy to feel that I should also be important in everyone else’s experience. But every other person is standing at the center of another universe. The stranger who walked past me this morning has a complete life that I know nothing about. The person who did not answer my message may be dealing with a problem unrelated to me.

The colleague who looked unhappy may not be angry with me at all. Remembering this reduces unnecessary self-importance. It also creates empathy. Other people are not supporting characters in our story. They are living stories of their own.

This thought is useful when I feel ignored, judged, or overly worried about what people think of me. Most people are spending much more time thinking about their own lives than thinking about mine. That is not depressing. It is liberating. I can care about people without imagining myself at the center of their world. And I can give them the same freedom.