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How do you get over the feeling that people are laughing at you?

241 Answers
Last Updated: 06/14/2022 at 1:34am
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Polly Letsch, LCSW

Clinical Social Work/Therapist

I provide non-judgmental, person-centered, objective therapeutic treatment for individuals of all ages to improve social, emotional, mental and other areas of functioning.

Top Rated Answers
SaraHoffman
December 6th, 2018 11:12pm
I know it's easier said then done but let it roll off your back. People will laugh and be mean but in the end if they see it's not bothering you they will get board with it and leave you alone. So act like you could care a less and it won't be fun for them anymore.
heretohelp940
January 16th, 2019 11:12pm
You have to come to a place within yourself where you see yourself as somebody that is worthy of respect. A good thing to do is to write a list of the things you a good at and are proud of yourself for. When you realize that you are of value, you will notice that people are not laughing at you. Love yourself and others will love you also. This is sometimes very hard and it takes practice to get to the place where you are looking at others for approval. However, when you get there it will be worth the journey!!
compassionateLily19
April 12th, 2019 11:27am
If you feel like other people are laughing at you it might be due to negative self image.To be honest people are so preoccupied with themselves they barely can pay attention to others.To get over that feeling you need to change the way you talk to yourself in your head. Focus on all your positive qualities.For example look at the mirror and say 10 things you love about yourself.Be very mindful about what's going on in your head and don't let negative thoughts take over in social situations.You do not need that in your life. Good luck and stay blessed!
DragonView2
April 28th, 2019 2:48am
Ask the people. Ask them if they are. Tell them how you feel. Ask them if they have felt the same (surely some have). Let them reassure you and support you. Remember that, if you were in their position, you probably wouldn't be laughing at you. Also, this feeling may be because you fear that this may be happening and you end up projecting your fears in the people (believing that they are laughing at you not because they are but because your fear makes you think so). Ask yourself if it is realistic to think that they are laughing at you. Ask yourself why would they laugh at you, and what would you tell a friend with that fear. Try to figure out why you believe that they are laughing at you and try to find out if your fears are based on reality. Finally, remind yourself that even if they were laughing at you, that says nothing about you but about them. If you are a teenager, these feelings may go away on their own as you become an adult. It is called an imaginary audience.
Anonymous
May 9th, 2019 11:28am
This is a hard one.. As human beings, it’s natural to worry about what others think, and when we know what it is, whether it’s good or not, it’s easy to believe them. But know this: Often, when people laugh at you, those are people who are hurting deeply and are insecure in themselves. They use bullying/rudeness as a coping mechanism. If you think about that the next time someone laughs at you, it should be easier to at least attempt to avoid/ignore them. However, if it’s a continuing issue, then you might want to consult a parent/other trusted adult for guidance and advice.
Anonymous
June 5th, 2019 10:47pm
That's a tough thing to get over, I have that feeling too. What u do is I put facts over fiction. So, when I see someone laughing in public I think at first 'Is there something wrong with how I look?' then I rationalise what I'm thinking 'shes probably thinking of a funny moment she experienced'. The key to dissociating yourself from public reaction is to realise that unfortunately (or fortunately), the world does not revolve around you and that most likely the 'laughers' will be leading normal lives, reacting as many do. And even if they are laughing at you, they will forget whatever is so amusing within a few minutes.
Anonymous
August 15th, 2019 5:47pm
My friend, I tell you. I feel that you shouldn't take it seriously. The best way to get over it is by ignoring. Do not give them the feeling that it bothers you. Let them laugh until they get exhausted. You can question them if you want to know what made them laugh at you. Reply with a smile and move on. Do not think about it at all. Leave it at that very moment. If you have to say something. Just reply saying - I'm glad/happy that made you laugh at me. Finally, Ignoring is the key to handle any situation. I believe it helps you!
Piotr
September 26th, 2019 7:12pm
Since this is related to self esteem, try to first be comfortable in your own skin. Get a haircut, dye your hair, change your clothing style, maybe switch out the shoes, do that until you find a look that you feel represents you the best. Second is exercise, not only do your dopamine levels rise right after exercise, you also gain a feeling of personal accomplishment when you push yourself harder than the day before. And this isn't even mentioning the muscle gain and weight loss. Focus on your hobbies and expand on them, set aside some time for a week to spend on improving upon your skills. This might also help you gain a feeling of accomplishment, and shapes your character. Fourth, practice. Practice keeping your head up, proper posture is important. Practice eye contact, if you have troubles with that, first try staring at the bridge of their nose until you feel comfortable enough before moving on. Fifth, the most important part, you have to realize most people don't care about you. It might sound depressing, but being forgettable to passerby's means you don't have to worry about how you look or how you act. Try to remember any person you've passed by on the street recently, tough right? And finally try to change your attitude. Wear your best available clothes, prepare yourself to go out as best as you can, and remember, the moment you go out you won't be able to fix anything. Don't worry if you feel like your shirt doesn't fit your pants, because at this point you won't be able to get changed anyways. Go with the flow.
StarsLookDown
October 10th, 2019 10:31pm
I ask myself, “Why do you care?” Even if they are actually laughing at me, it doesn’t affect me in the slightest. I tell myself that I don’t need to find my worth in what others might think of me. Alternatively, I will try to distract myself by going over anything I need to remember that day, especially if I have a test or quiz, or I go through the day and think of all the things I’ve done right that day. This helps to ease anxiety in general, and filters out a lot of cognitive distortions I may have been experiencing.
Rebekah
November 9th, 2019 8:51am
This is something that I've had to deal with myself on a very personal level. Throughout my comprehensive (middle/high school) years, I was constantly paranoid that everyone was laughing at me, talking about me, gossiping behind my back... But we can't live like that. We simply cannot live feeling like that, because it takes over your life. Paying attention to what others are doing around you can only reinforce the feelings of paranoia that your brain is creating. What did I do? I stopped caring. That is WAY easier said than done, however. Being able to ignore other people, regardless of what they are doing, is not something that people have; it's a developed skill that only some people can ever learn, but once you learn it, it never fades.
TrishaRenae88
November 22nd, 2019 9:12pm
I just ignore them as best as I can. I would also ask them what are they laughing? Did I do something funny? Then I will be a adult just walk away from them instead of trying to fight them. That is what I could do in that situation. What would everyone else do? I would also tell myself that I am pretty I don't need people laughing at me all the time. I would also make sure my shelf esteem is still up. I would also laugh right back at them so they will know how it feels to be laugh at.
AmorahM360
December 14th, 2019 6:51pm
I usually try and just ignore people who's intentions are to bring me or others down, I don't like feeling down so seeing someone feel down really gets to me so when others laugh at me I dust it off my shoulder. I really want to try helping others feel confident enough to do the same and I understand that it can be hard when you've got accustomed to caring about what others think but there is a difference in caring what people think and caring about how people feel and I personally feel a lot of individuals get those two confused.
friendshipkeeper
December 28th, 2019 7:39pm
I learned to understand where they're coming from. most people don't get me or anyone at all. and, there are also people who are struggling to understand themselves so they end up making fun of other people to distract themselves from the reality in them or simply an effort to make themselves feel better. Instead of getting angry or bottling up insecurity, I choose to look at myself and assess if there is something I might have missed. Then, by all means, IMPROVE. Use it as an inspiration to become better. It doesn't matter what other people think of you. what matters is how you feel about yourself.
Patienceduncan78977
January 19th, 2020 6:59am
Put it in the back of your head and know your worth. You need to forget aboyt how they treated you but always treat them with repect. You deserve alot but they are human to and deserve the same. People are going to be rude and laugh but there are times that is going to happen. Dont let this get under your skin and dont treat them badly. People make mistake and this just happens to be that. I want you to know you where put in this situation cause you are strong enough to handle it. Feel free to chat with me im here for you
Anonymous
January 22nd, 2020 5:20am
Other people's opinion don't matter. They can judge you if they want. That is their right. You also have the right to do whatever you are doing. You are unique. Others only know one aspect of you. Let others' opinion dictate your thoughts and decision making can only ruin the chance of a better outcome. People laugh at a lot of things. It doesn't make them good judges. Respect yourself more. You need to first value yourself. If you start judging yourself before everybody else, you may find it more difficult to get over people's umconstructive opinion. Treat yourself right. Then you can go against all odds.
sunshineMelody2530
February 19th, 2020 6:49pm
I usually have this quite often. It helped me to look "outside of the picture", what I mean is when I have these feelings I tend to ask myself how much of this is true based on facts, or how much I am allowing emotions from earlier events affect my current mood. A few deep breaths and I can look at the situation. Usually people are too deep caught up in similarities, that they are either looking through us, or past us. And if they are in fact laughing, you have the right to address the matter. Usually people will apologize if they notice their behavior is questionable and offended you. I hope this helps
Anonymous
March 28th, 2020 12:00am
I breathe, close my eyes, breathe again and tell myself that it's going to be okay. I try to not listen to them and occupy my mind with various topics so that I won't keep thinking about it! After all, most of the time it's in my head and maybe they are laughing about a random video or photo but sometimes it's just too strong that your breath starts to catch up, sweat drips from the forehead and hands, heart beats faster and you feel like you've been judged all your life. But its not necessarily this, you aren't alone
iwillhelpyou32
March 28th, 2020 5:16pm
I think this question has to do with insecurities. To get overthinking, people are laughing at you; you have to find your vulnerabilities. Finding your insecurities could be a challenging process for some people. When finding your insecurities, you have to remind yourself that you have self-worth and attributes that contribute to the world. When I say "find" I don't mine find everything that bothers you about yourself and set depressed after finding them. I mean, see your insecurities and explore them. Explore the reasoning as to why you be insecure about yourself. You also have to explore yourself. Explore the way you feel towards others. Remind yourself why you want to be like that person. Ask yourself why can't you be unapologetically you. You have to find no fault within yourself. Love yourself, and there could be no possible way you could feel like others are judging and laughing at you.
lovingOcean1314
March 29th, 2020 6:36pm
You tell yourself that it is okay for people to laugh at you - you can't please everyone! And even if they do laugh, 1) its just a laugh, it won't hurt you, even if it feels like the worst thing ever and 2) I would take it as a HUGE compliment if I made someone laugh, whether at me or with me. Remember, you are never going to please everybody so live your life the way you want to and if people laugh at that - LET THEM! You don't need to worry about what other people think and feel about you.
walkingpresent
April 4th, 2020 4:40am
No matter what you do, how good you are at certain things, there will always be people who are going to laugh, or simply dislike you even if it is for unreasonable reason. Yes you may feel that whenever someone is laughing even in the malls where strangers gather, you may feel that they are laughing at you when you have a trauma from the past (Although you may tried to forget and let go of the past, your body still remembers it) When you change how you see something, you will change your behavior and attitude towards it. This is what I did to overcome this feeling, whenever some strangers are laughing near me. instead of thinking "Do I look weird? Did I do something just now?" I would think "Man they must be having a blast over there, I wonder what they are doing" while still walking forward.
Anonymous
April 10th, 2020 7:27pm
You cannot control people's reactions and perceptions, the only thing you can control is your perceptions and reactions. I can imagine how you would not want people laughing at you. That is a reflection of their character, not your character or what is true about you. You should Focus on qualities you like about yourself because you are the one who is feeling, and no one can deny the way you are feeling. Focus on yourself because this is your life and no one else is validated to live it for you or impose their feelings onto it.
Anonymous
May 13th, 2020 5:12am
Find something that you're proud of, that you know you are uniquely suited to, and remind yourself everyday of how good you are at it. Surround yourself with people who genuinely love you, and build up your relationships with them. Jot down one thing that you love about yourself every day to remind yourself of your unique worth. Lastly, remember that people laugh at other people because they may be feeling bad about themselves and are just looking for ways to make themselves feel better, so know that they probably aren't targeting you on purpose. Hope this helps :)
Anonymous
May 17th, 2020 7:00pm
People mostly laugh at others because of insecurities they have themselves. They want to overshadow their flaws by pointing out somebody else's. I believe that it's not worth giving your attention to. To get over people laughing at me, I just remind myself of that. People who make fun of me just want to feel better for themselves. I've learned how to feel comfortable the way I am and I'd change nothing about me. Everyone should think of it thay way and embrace the way they are, flaws included. No body is perfect and neither are the people that laugh at others.
Morgantfaria
May 20th, 2020 2:00pm
I just think to myself well they could be laughing at something else, thought of something funny or if they are directly laughing at me I try to take it as a compliment and move on. For example, I'm wearing a unique outfit and someone laughs at it. I don't take it personally I just think I am unique and that's what makes me, me. Just because people are laughing doesn't mean it's bad either it could be laughing because of a bug landing on you and you don't know. Regardless of why are how you can't think the worst of the situation and you can't take it personally.
DylanletterR
May 20th, 2020 4:41pm
Well, I hope you can trust me in the fact that I am sure people aren't always laughing at you! But, if they are, I would recommend laughing with them. By doing this it can help you kind of get over the embarrassment factor of it all, and maybe even make you happy by getting some laughs in. Another way I would like to get over the feeling of people laughing at me is by positive self talk (ex. I am confident! I am smart and talented). Positive self talk is good because with a little practice, you can easily boost your confidence and get those negative thoughts/negative thinking out of your head!
EternalBubbles7
May 22nd, 2020 2:56am
Most people are usually minding their own business and doing their own thing. If people are laughing at you due to bullying/making fun of you, know that that says more about them as a person. Those who laugh/make fun of others do it usually because they are insecure themselves and need a way to let out that insecurity by hurting others. It is wrong for them to do that but sometimes they are just unaware and feel that is the best way to let it out. In that case, try to ignore them. Most people in general don't laugh at people.
mollyviolet12
May 24th, 2020 4:11pm
It's really easy to feel like people are making fun of you behind your back, especially if you have low self esteem. I think it helps to think about how many people you judge or laugh at on a daily basis. It's probably none, right? People are usually too worried about themselves and their issues to judge other people. Many people are more insecure than they let on, and they're focused on making sure nobody judges them. You are almost never as big a deal to strangers around you as you feel in your head. If someone is truly laughing at you, just know they are being a bad person and they need to change more than you do. Insecurity is a big reason for why people bully or spread rumors, because they think it will give them more power. This doesn't make it hurt any less, but it can help to remember that the most power you can have in that situation is to be kind and know your own worth. Because your worth isn't what some unimportant people think of you, it's inside you. There will always be people who are willing to talk to you, see your true self, and love and respect you for it. It isn't easy to get over that feeling, but it helps to work through it and try to think about it rationally.
daisybaby204
June 6th, 2020 7:00pm
This can be a really difficult feeling that's really hard to shake. Thinking I was being made fun of is one of the single most nerve wracking experiences I can really think of. One thing I did that helped me a lot with this feeling was working on my own self-confidence. I started journaling what I did each day, and would go back and look it at after a couple days or weeks. Looking at a log of everything I got done - even small things like "had a great talk with my aunt" - helped me to feel accomplished. When you grow in your self-confidence and self-esteem I think it helps you to realize that people aren't really looking as closely as you think.
Anonymous
June 10th, 2020 6:46pm
It's hard when you realise/know people aren't laughing with you, but instead laughing at you, most of the time I just tell myself that if they can't say it to my face/tell me why they are laughing, then they aren't worth me spending my time worrying about them. We are always going to get judgement, from whoever it may be, but it doesn't mean we should change who we are or look down on ourselves for it. It's not your fault either, if people are laughing at you or making fun of you, it's because they are trying to make themselves feel better. They aren't necessarily bad people, they have just not been taught the right way.
Anonymous
June 18th, 2020 3:41am
It is tough to get over the feeling that people are laughing at you instead of laughing with you. I grow up knowing I am a little awkward due to the fact I am different in all sense of the word. I am not the typical suburban kid. The demographics of the town work against me. I learn that if I accept the fact that I will not be accepted by everyone. The only way I can get pass the uneasy feeling is acceptance. Even though I accept it, I will also accept myself and give myself self love. But most of all, surround myself with people who are positive. And remember the people who support me and laugh with me.