You've been shrinking yourself for people who aren't even watching.
➭ You swallowed your opinion.
➭ You laughed at the joke that wasn't funny.
➭ You said "I'm fine" when you were falling apart.
Why?
Because somewhere deep down, you needed them to approve of you.
And every time you chased that approval, you handed them a piece of your power.
That's the trap. The need to be liked is the cage.
Lions don't ask the sheep if they're intimidating.
The most powerful people in any room aren't the most liked, they're the most “themselves.”
Unapologetically. Uncomfortably. Completely.
People don't actually respect those who agree with everything.
They respect those who stand for something.
Your approval addiction isn't humility, it's a slow, quiet surrender of everything you are.
Stop performing. Start existing.
Drop a 😳 if you needed to hear this today.
Follow 𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 because nobody in your circle will tell you this.
Now be honest in CS, what's one thing you've been holding back just to keep someone comfortable?