17. Do You Want to Be Seen (But Also Want to Hide)?

Why do we want to be seen… and also feel the urge to hide?

In this episode of Feelings and Other Inconveniences, we unpack the psychology of being seen — from social media and identity curation to the deeper fear of judgment, rejection, and being misunderstood.

We explore:

• the difference between being seen vs being looked at
• how fear of judgment and rejection shapes what we share
• the pressure of social media, visibility, and validation
• why being accurately understood matters more than just being visible
• how people-pleasing, comparison, and identity influence how much space we take up
• the vulnerability of putting yourself out there (including writing a book and public exposure)

This conversation gets into the real tension between visibility and safety — and why even confident, self-aware people still wrestle with it.

If you've ever overthought a post, held yourself back in a conversation, or worried about how you're being perceived, this episode is for you.