the slightest symptom of
selfishness, exclusiveness, meanness, or I-am-better-than-you-ness.

Pattern after Him who gave the Golden Rule, and who was the first true
gentleman that ever breathed.

CHAPTER XIX

SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS AND TIMIDITY FOES TO SUCCESS

Timid, shy people are morbidly self-conscious; they think too much
about themselves. Their thoughts are always turned inward; they are
always analyzing, dissecting themselves, wondering how they appear and
what people think of them. If these people could only forget
themselves and think of others, they would be surprised to see what
freedom, ease, and grace they would gain; what success in life they
would achieve.

Timidity, shyness, and self-consciousness belong to the same family.
We usually find all where we find any one of these qualities, and they
are all enemies of peace of mind, happiness, and achievement. No one
has ever done a great thing while his mind was centered upon himself.
We must lose ourselves before we can find ourselves. Self analysis is
valuable only to learn our strength; fatal, if we dwell upon our
weaknesses.

Thousands of young people are held back from undertaking what they long
to do, and are kept from trying to make real their great life-dreams,
because they are afraid to jostle with the world. They shrink from
exposing their sore spots and sensitive points, which smart from the
lightest touch. Their super-sensitiveness makes cowards of them.

Over-sensitiveness, whether in man or woman, is really an exaggerated
form of self-consciousness. It is far removed from conceit or
self-esteem, yet it causes one's personality to overshadow everything
else. A sensitive person feels that, whatever he does, wherever he
goes, or whatever he says, he is the center of observation. He
imagines that people are criticizing his movements, making fun at his
expense, or analyzing his character, when they are probably not
thinking of him at all. He does not realize that other people are too
busy and too much interested in themselves and other things to devote
to him any of their time beyond what is absolutely necessary. When he
thinks they are aiming remarks at him, putting slights upon him, or
trying to hold him up to the ridicule of others, they may not be even
conscious of his presence.

Morbid sensitiveness requires heroic treatment. A sufferer who wishes
to overcome it must take himself in hand as determinedly as he would if