I have the soul-consuming fear of being too self-centered, and it gets in the way of things ALL THE TIME. It will lead to awkward moments, saying the wrong thing, and closing myself off to people. For instance, if a friend is upset I will try to console them. I might give them a piece of advice, but then I’ll realize that if I am giving advice I am taking from my own experiences and that if I am taking from my own experiences that I am talking about myself by extension, and then I will feel like a horrible friend for making it all about me in their moment of need. When I realize my ‘mistake’ I will either go dead silent (if I haven’t given my advice) or talk for centuries, trying to explain things and compensate for my selfishness (if I have given my advice). I know it’s ridiculous and that that’s just how conversations work- talking about what you know of and contributing through stories and ideas of your own- but for some reason I feel like a bad person each time I do it. I have only recently noticed that I have this problem and it took me a little by surprise. I usually solve my problems by talking to my friends to get emotional support and suggestions, but I feel like bringing it up will make me look like I’m just craving attention or something. Getting this out has helped, though, and thank you for taking the time to read this.