"In any given week, you will probably talk to dozens or hundreds of people. Most of these conversations will probably be about perfunctory, practical matters: "Two tickets, please," "No, after you," or "Darling, do you know where Liam's swimming trunks are?" At other times, these conversations swish gently, as with two friends chatting over coffee, or they might ramble in a debate about who's better: the Reds or the Blues. But according to Oprah Winfrey, everyone in every conversation mostly wants the same thing."
"Winfrey has interviewed tens of thousands of people over her incredible 30-year career. She's interviewed Michael Jackson, Barack Obama, and Meghan Markle, as well as a group of neo-Nazis and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (two groups who may or may not overlap). Winfrey recalls that the moment the camera stops running, and the production crew whisks off the mics, guests will invariably ask the same thing: "How did I do?""
Everyday interactions range from brief practical exchanges to relaxed chats or heated debates, yet individuals often seek reassurance about how they appear. Interviewed guests commonly ask "How did I do?" once recording ends. Humans have long pursued status, recognition, and validation within social groups, driven by sensitivity to public perception. A classical view attributes this to the emergence of settled communities, where living alongside others created anxieties about being observed and judged. A contemporary philosophical perspective identifies a further recent shift in narrative and social perception, altering how validation and public image are pursued.
Read at Big Think
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