Need to be liked

Petra, Jordan

I wonder if the Nile boat cruise people or our tour guide are still upset because we didn’t tip enough. I get a big dopamine hit when I receive an excellent guest review by an Airbnb host. I seem to have this need to thank people and tell everyone how great everything is all the time - the staff at the lounge, the chef at the buffet, airline employees.

I deeply value generosity and support and I work hard to avoid causing difficulty for others. Life is difficult already enough. But if I’m honest, I just want everyone I meet to think, “Wow, she is so great.”

Will I ever be out from under the need for others to adore me?

I think a spiritual practice to address the need to be liked should be to become an NBA basketball ref. People are mad at them all the time.