The Spotlight Effect Is An Obsession With Perfection

The spotlight effect is when people overestimate the significance of their faults or shortcomings, no matter how small or large they are. The victims who suffer from this phenomenon feel that everyone else is looking at them and the imaginary flaws they have. They believe that others will judge them for even the loser. Although the spotlight effect is more prevalent among teenagers, there is also a large proportion of adults who suffer from this effect.

A person who is bothered by the spotlight effect will be terrified of getting pimples on their face. They believe that everyone will notice this little imperfection. In the same way, they imagine that others are talking about them behind their backs and criticizing them. There are two conflicting situations in the minds of these people. On the one hand, they have very low self-esteem. On the other hand, they also feel like the center of the universe.

Advertisers know a lot about the spotlight effect. This is why there are countless advertisements where everyone condemns a person for not using a particular product. For example, some advertisements show people being rejected or excluded because they do not use a particular product, or perform a particular action. And of course, people who are obsessed with the opinions and recognition of others will be an easier prey for advertisers.

What is the spotlight effect?

The spotlight effect is the tendency to overestimate one’s own characteristics or personal behavior. This happens especially because the person thinks that some of their faults or shortcomings will be of great importance to others. However, they are not aware that most people do not care about the little coffee stain they have on the short.

One can compare some aspects of the spotlight effect with paranoia. A paranoid person feels special, different and as if they are chosen for something. But it is not due to excessive narcissism. Rather, they feel guilty about something they are not really aware of. Thus, they project their guilt onto others. For that reason, it seems that others are constantly judging them. At the same time, guilt is evened out with an aura of superiority.

People who suffer from the spotlight effect maintain an image that they are better than everyone else. Therefore, they also become extremely dependent on the opinions of others. On the one hand, they want to capture people’s attention in one way or another. However, they are also afraid of others because in their minds, the others are ruthless and judgmental.

An eye-opening experiment

Some researchers at Cornell University conducted an experiment on the spotlight effect. The experiment consisted of gathering a group of volunteers and asking them to choose a shirt they thought was ugly. Then they had to wear the chosen shirt one day and count how many people noticed it.

After completing the first part of the experiment, the researchers asked each person how many had noticed them while wearing the embarrassing garment. In the same way, they asked the observers if they had noticed the person. Then they compared the answers from both those who wore the shirt and the observers.

When the results were completed, it became clear that many of the volunteers showed large margins of error in how many people they thought had noticed them. The results showed that less than half of the reported observers had noticed the ugly shirt.

How we can overcome the spotlight effect

To overcome the difficulties that reside in our unconscious, experts recommend using psychological therapy. However, there are other measures you can try in the short term that prove effective:

• Check the validity of your assumptions. It’s worth recreating your own personal version of the experiment from the researchers at Cornell. You can try asking others if they noticed when you made a mistake, or did something embarrassing and embarrassing.
• Analyze the reasons why you feel embarrassed. It is good to think about why you think your mistakes or shortcomings are so serious. What is it that makes them so awful? Why do you think other people will be intolerant?
• Think of something positive. To combat these negative emotions, try to think of something positive. What makes you valuable? Why would a pimple on your face or a stain on your shirt make you less valuable?

In addition, it will be interesting to take a closer look at why you feel so insecure about who you are. The spotlight effect manifests itself in people who have not yet managed to accept themselves for who they are.