---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You'll worry less about what people think…"
description: "\"“You'll worry less about what people think about you when you realize how seldom they do.”\" — David Foster Wallace"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db2/david-foster-wallace-161_fear_you-ll-worry-less-about-what-people-thin_3193963.jpg"
---

#  You'll worry less about what people think about you when…

![“You'll worry less about what people think about you when you realize how seldom they do.” quote by David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db2/david-foster-wallace-161_fear_you-ll-worry-less-about-what-people-thin_3193963.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db2/david-foster-wallace-161_fear_you-ll-worry-less-about-what-people-thin_3193963.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db2/david-foster-wallace-161_fear_you-ll-worry-less-about-what-people-thin_3193963.jpg)

> ““You'll worry less about what people think about you when you realize how seldom they do.””

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People rarely think about others’ opinions, so worrying less about them frees us to live authentically.

**In simple terms:** Most people don’t judge you as much as you think.

Key Takeaway

Live for yourself, not for imagined scrutiny.

Themes

self‑acceptance social pressure authenticity confidence mindfulness

Mood

relaxed empowering

Type

motivational reflective

When to use this quote

- social media use
- public speaking
- personal relationships
- career advancement

Key Concepts

social psychology self‑esteem perception

Questions to Reflect On

- What would change if you stopped caring about others’ judgments?
- How can you distinguish useful feedback from noise?

A Different Perspective

Over‑confidence can ignore constructive feedback.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [People Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-think/) [Realize Seldom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realize-seldom-5085709/) [Think Realize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-realize-432879/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) [Worry less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry-less/) [Worry People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry-people/)

## Related quotes

> [You will become way less concerned with what other people think of you when you realize how seldom they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/you-will-become-way-less-concerned-with-what-other-people-think-of/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [If you worry less about what people think of you, you can pick up an astonishing amount of information about them. You no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/if-you-worry-less-about-what-people-think-of-you-you-can-pick-up-an/)

[Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/)

> [That sometimes human beings have to just sit in one place and, like, hurt. That you will become way less concerned with what other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/that-sometimes-human-beings-have-to-just-sit-in-one-place-and-like/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“Worry less about how many people you are connected to, and worry a whole lot more about who you are connected to – who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-joel/worry-less-about-how-many-people-you-are-connected-to-and-worry-a/)

[Mitch Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-joel/)

> [You need to remember to worry less about what other people think of you. a beautiful, wonderful, joyful life is about spending your time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-need-to-remember-to-worry-less-about-what-other-people-think-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Worry less about what other people think about you, and more about what you think about them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/worry-less-about-what-other-people-think-about-you-and-more-about/)

[Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/)

> [When you are younger, you worry about what people think about you. When you are older, you realize that no one was ever thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/when-you-are-younger-you-worry-about-what-people-think-about-you-when/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [Sometimes, we get distracted and worried and we miss something God has in store for us... Slow down, streamline your Life, take time for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-rivera/sometimes-we-get-distracted-and-worried-and-we-miss-something-god-has/)

[Maria Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-rivera/)

> [“During life's crisis...try to worry less and smile more. Keep your head up because It will get better...it always does!✌”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/during-life-s-crisis-try-to-worry-less-and-smile-more-keep-your-head/)

[Timothy Pina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-pina/)

> [Perhaps we should worry less about judging people for being Mormon or Baptist or Muslim or gay or straight or black or white or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charity-sunshine-tillemann-dick/perhaps-we-should-worry-less-about-judging-people-for-being-mormon-or/)

[Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charity-sunshine-tillemann-dick/)

> [You need to worry less about what everyone else thinks and focus on what makes you happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-banks/you-need-to-worry-less-about-what-everyone-else-thinks-and-focus-on/)

[Maya Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-banks/)

> [You know what, man? I don't have time to worry about what people think. I'm focused on the youth of America. I'm focused on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-baldwin/you-know-what-man-i-don-t-have-time-to-worry-about-what-people-think/)

[Stephen Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-baldwin/)

> [Never worry about what people think. That's what drove me to drinking a lot of time, worrying about what people thought of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-merson/never-worry-about-what-people-think-that-s-what-drove-me-to-drinking/)

[Paul Merson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-merson/)

> [Don't worry about what other people think about you,worry about what God thinks!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/don-t-worry-about-what-other-people-think-about-you-worry-about-what/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [Don't worry about what people say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-jean-king/don-t-worry-about-what-people-say/)

[Billie Jean King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-jean-king/)

## More by David Foster Wallace

> [“I felt more solidly composed, now that I was horizontal. I was impossible to knock down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/i-felt-more-solidly-composed-now-that-i-was-horizontal-i-was/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“We all have our little solipsistic delusions, ghastly intuitions of utter singularity: that we are the only one in the house who ever fills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/we-all-have-our-little-solipsistic-delusions-ghastly-intuitions-of/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“It's no accident that in a bureaucracy getting fired is called 'termination,' as in ontological erasure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/it-s-no-accident-that-in-a-bureaucracy-getting-fired-is-called/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [Footnote: 79) The anchor is gigantic and must weigh a hundred tons, and -- delightfully -- it really is anchor-shaped, i.e. the same shape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/footnote-79-the-anchor-is-gigantic-and-must-weigh-a-hundred-tons-and/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“The paradoxical intercourse of audience and celebrity. The suppressed awareness that the whole reason ordinary people found celebrity fascinating was that they were not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/the-paradoxical-intercourse-of-audience-and-celebrity-the-suppressed/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“I am coming to see that the sensation of the worst nightmares, a sensation that can be felt asleep or awake, is identical to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/i-am-coming-to-see-that-the-sensation-of-the-worst-nightmares-a/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“He cranks the condo’s AC way down at night and still most mornings wakes up soaked, fetally curled, entombed in that kind of psychic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/he-cranks-the-condo-s-ac-way-down-at-night-and-still-most-mornings/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“To me, at least in retrospect, the really interesting question is why dullness proves to be such a powerful impediment to attention. Why we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/to-me-at-least-in-retrospect-the-really-interesting-question-is-why/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“If you’re subjected to enough great salesmen and salespitches and marketing concepts for long enough—like from your earliest Saturday-morning cartoons, let’s say—it is only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/if-you-re-subjected-to-enough-great-salesmen-and-salespitches-and/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“Why is the truth usually not just un- but anti-interesting?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/why-is-the-truth-usually-not-just-un-but-anti-interesting/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“She almost reminds the engineer of certain types in high school whom everyone adored because you sensed it made no difference to them whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/she-almost-reminds-the-engineer-of-certain-types-in-high-school-whom/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [To be, in a word, unborable… It is the key to modern life. If you are immune to boredom, there is literally nothing you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/to-be-in-a-word-unborable-it-is-the-key-to-modern-life-if-you-are/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“It is within your power to experience a crowded, loud, slow, consumer-hell-type situation as not only meaningful but sacred, on fire with the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/it-is-within-your-power-to-experience-a-crowded-loud-slow-consumer/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“The happy pleasure of the person alone, yes?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/the-happy-pleasure-of-the-person-alone-yes/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [There is such a thing as raw, unalloyed, agendaless kindness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/there-is-such-a-thing-as-raw-unalloyed-agendaless-kindness/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

[Explore all 999 David Foster Wallace quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

## More Fear quotes

> [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/)

[Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/)

> [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. For eighteen months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-ashley/that-horrible-stinging-sensation-returned-the-muscles-behind-my-eyes/)

[Devon Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-ashley/)

> [“...Often that which most we fear births the resolve that spurs us on to altitudes we could not have achieved, had we continued walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-t-anderson/often-that-which-most-we-fear-births-the-resolve-that-spurs-us-on-to/)

[M.T. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-t-anderson/)

> [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/)

[Nagisa Tatsumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nagisa-tatsumi/)

> [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

> [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/)

[Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/)

> [“Snip off the little worries and expressions of worry” like little branches atop a tall tree.28 If you are truly worried, sharing your concerns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/snip-off-the-little-worries-and-expressions-of-worry-like-little/)

[Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/)

> [“Fear and desire for pleasure. Aggressiveness comes out of fear, predominantly, and sexuality predominantly out of the other. But they mix in the middle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/fear-and-desire-for-pleasure-aggressiveness-comes-out-of-fear/)

[Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/)

> [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/)

[Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/)

> [“Yes, the issue was courage. It always had been, even as a kid. Things scared him. He couldn't help it. Noise scared him, dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/yes-the-issue-was-courage-it-always-had-been-even-as-a-kid-things/)

[Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/)

> [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/)

[Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/)

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

[Browse all 35,569 Fear quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“You'll worry less about what people think about you when you realize how seldom they do.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David Foster Wallace"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/you-ll-worry-less-about-what-people-think-about-you-when-you-realize/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Fear"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/you-ll-worry-less-about-what-people-think-about-you-when-you-realize/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db2/david-foster-wallace-161_fear_you-ll-worry-less-about-what-people-thin_3193963.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db2/david-foster-wallace-161_fear_you-ll-worry-less-about-what-people-thin_3193963.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db2/david-foster-wallace-161_fear_you-ll-worry-less-about-what-people-thin_3193963.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You'll worry less about what people think about you when you realize how seldom they do.” — David Foster Wallace",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "David Foster Wallace",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“You'll worry less about what people...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/you-ll-worry-less-about-what-people-think-about-you-when-you-realize/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/you-ll-worry-less-about-what-people-think-about-you-when-you-realize/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
