This is hidden brain.
I'm Shankar Vedantam.
Have you ever walked into a school or workplace and found yourself wondering what the people there think of you?
Are they judging you because you're a woman?
Why are they staring at me?
Or gay or an immigrant?
I wonder if they'll think I have an accent when I speak.
Because you have a disability?
Because you're poor?
Is it because I'm old?
Has this affected what you say, whether you speak and how you act?
I hope they don't think I'm boring.
Is there something in my teeth?
Maybe if I just sit over here and I don't say anything, maybe they won't notice me.
On the surface, it would seem like the impressions other people have of us live only inside their minds.
It shouldn't affect the way we think or feel or act.
But our concerns about other people's perceptions have a way of burrowing deep into our minds.
Is it because I'm too tall?
Do they think I'm fat?
Do I even belong here?