The Last Lecture

The Last Lecture
34
Don’t Obsess Over What People Think
I ’VE FOUND that a substantial fraction of many people’s days is spent
worrying about what others think of them. If nobody ever worried
about what was in other people’s heads, we’d all be 33 percent more
effective in our lives and on our jobs.
How did I come up with 33 percent? I’m a scientist. I like exact
numbers, even if I can’t always prove them. So let’s just run with 33
percent.
I used to tell anyone who worked in my research group: “You don’t
ever have to worry about what I’m thinking. Good or bad, I’ll let you
know what’s in my head.”
That meant when I wasn’t happy about something, I spoke up,
often directly and not always tactfully. But on the positive side, I was able
to reassure people: “If I haven’t said anything, you have nothing to worry
about.”
Students and colleagues came to appreciate that, and they didn’t
waste a lot of time obsessing over “What is Randy thinking?” Because
mostly, what I was thinking was this: I have people on my team who are
33 percent more effective than everyone else. That’s what was in my
head.
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