why strangers will support you more than your own friends

The educated baddie series. Strangers are more likely to support your dream than your own friends. And we all know this is a true thing. But there is actually an interesting reason as to why. When I started directing my energy into work and posting online, I noticed that the people cheering me on the loudest weren't actually the majority of the time my friends. Instead, it was actually complete strangers. I went down like a psychological rabbit hole as to why this could be. Because I know it's not just me who experiences this. One explanation is called the social comparison theory. Psychologists propose that we naturally evaluate ourselves by comparing ourselves to other people, especially people who feel similar to us, and who feel more similar to you than your friends. When a stranger sees you succeeding, they think, 'Oh, good for them.' But when it's someone who grew up with, went to school with, or sees as being on the same path as them, their success can unintentionally become a mirror. They'll start thinking, 'Well, why aren't I doing that? Should I have done that? Could I have done that too?' Those comparisons aren't always conscious, and it doesn't actually mean someone is jealous. But if they do feel like that, they can feel more emotionally complicated. There's also something else that I found really interesting. Your friends have known you for years, and they've built a picture of you in their minds. You're the funny one, the quiet one, the one they've always known. Strangers don't have that version of you yet. They only know the version you're choosing to become. Maybe strangers don't believe in you more, they're just not attached to who you used to be.