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How the Spotlight Effect Makes You Overthink Office Moments
Description
Have you ever felt like everyone is watching you after a minor mistake in a meeting? Lucas and Luna explore the spotlight effect — our tendency to overestimate how much others notice our actions. They trace it back to a 1999 Cornell study by Gilovich, Medvec, and Savitsky, where students wearing a Barry Manilow t-shirt dramatically overestimated how many peers noticed the embarrassing shirt. The hosts connect this to real office scenarios: a flubbed presentation slide, a typo in an email, a messy video call background. They discuss why the effect is so persistent, how it feeds workplace anxiety, and what you can do about it — from cognitive recalibration to simply asking a trusted colleague. A practical episode for anyone who's ever replayed an awkward moment in their head long after everyone else forgot.