Attention and affection are both very important needs but they are different. Be clear as to which you are seeking and why. Attention is a big deal. If I pay attention to you or you to me, that means we have decided that this person is worth the time and effort and acknowledgment that attention provides. Nothing drives people up a wall faster than being ignored. It is certainly one of my pet peeves. There is an eyeglass store in Midtown Atlanta that has been in its location for a number of years now.
Every time I have been in that store, none of the sales people have ever bothered to acknowledge my existence. We all want attention. We all seek attention. Because it provides a sort of validation from others that in their eyes, we are worth them paying attention to.
And as you have seen, in our current world, it seems like everyone is seeking to stand out and garner, and in many cases monetize the attention, recognition and validation they are getting, mostly via social media. Others use social media to hookup. Conversely, others of us, mostly us introverts, do not like attention or being in the spotlight. For many years I actively practiced hiding in plain sight and am still quite adept at being invisible, especially in a crowded room, in contrast to the people who strive to be the center of attention.
They feed off the energy that the attention provides them, whereas for me, I find it exhausting after a while. I prefer operating quietly, behind the scenes, and am very effective in that role of making things happen without it having to be all about me.
We shun the spotlight but that does not mean we shun accomplishment. But regardless of whether you are a person who actively seeks attention, or welcomes it in limited quantities on occasion, or you do your best to avoid it, it is always β ALWAYS β useful to look at what you pay attention to in your life.
