Do You Have 'FOPO'? Here's How To Spot The Damaging Habit.

katleho Seisa via Getty Images FOPO, or the fear of people's opinions, is likely holding you back from being your true self. This occurrence is known as “FOPO,” or fear of people’s opinions, a concept named by psychologist Michael Gervais who also authored a book on the topic, “The First Rule of Mastery: Stop Worrying About What People Think of You.” FOPO is “primarily an anticipatory mechanism that we use, and it’s a preemptive process to increase our acceptance in the eyes of others and for us to try to avoid rejection,” Gervais told HuffPost. immigrant families, where this concept of ‘what will people think?’ has just been ingrained in us for centuries.” The rise of social media is part of this too, Sagaram said. You may chase the dreams and approval of others rather than your own desires, Gervais explained, and may spend life “being who we think people want us to be, rather than who we actually are.” How To Worry Less About Other People’s Opinions Good news: If you want to worry about other people’s opinions less, the first step ― awareness ― is likely happening now. “And now here I am, in my 30s, still fixated on how I look.” Sagaram added that having self-confidence can be a way to understand your values and, in turn, care less about people’s opinions.