BLUF
Fear of rejection can turn ordinary social interactions into prolonged rumination. This article explains how anxiety, confirmation bias, and reassurance-seeking can reinforce self-doubt, while emphasizing that embarrassment does not necessarily mean wrongdoing.Learning Outcomes
- Explain how fear of rejection, rumination, and confirmation bias can influence the way people interpret social interactions and perceive others’ reactions.
- Analyse the relationship between self-doubt, core beliefs about self-worth, and the tendency to seek certainty about how others view us.
- Evaluate the benefits and limitations of reflection and reassurance seeking, and identify healthier ways to respond to embarrassment, uncertainty, and perceived social mistakes.
