To wonder if there's a way you can become more thick skinned?

[Leafylow]

Basically there are positions in my company which are voted on. Anyone can put their name in the hat, and then there's an election on who gets the job. There are several positions up for grabs. I would quite like to put my name forward for one.

However, I keep putting myself off because I'm so scared I get such a low amount of votes that it's an embarrassing defeat. People have said to just do it, & it doesn't matter if I don't win, but I know I'll be mortified if I get hardly any votes. Some of my colleagues, though, stand for election and if they don't win they don't take it personally at all, it's like water off a duck's back, and they'll try again next time.

How do I grow a thicker skin and develop the blasé attitude other people have? Or does thin skin stay with you forever?

Placemarking for different reasons! I work with some nasty people who are 2 faced to everyone and are very difficult to work with yet I still let them get to me.

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For me it came with age. I have become more confident as I've become older. Actually, that's not right. I started to care less about what others thought of me and as long as I treat people the way I would like to be treated, I can't do more than that really.

If people don't like me fuck'em. Their loss 🤣

If some people have already done it and not taken it personally when they didn’t win they will know what it is like and whether they say anything or not will know how it feels. It is clearly something you would like so why not just try in the knowledge that it is accepted by others that you might fail like they did?

You need to stop giving a fuck. And that to me came by experiencing some of the defeats. You can never learn to deal with something like this when you never really experienced it.
You will be crushed few times nad then it turns into "meh, happens"

Age definitely helps but I’ve found ‘faking it till you make it’ also helps. Same thing with self confidence, which is a branch of the same thing I suppose. Force yourself to behave the way you want to be perceived.

Lots of positive reading would help too. It’s an interesting thought that people should be bothered about impressing you rather than you impressing them. I really think that’s a natural mindset of many very confident and successful people. I also think it can be learnt if you’re willing.

I think it also helps to keep in mind how naturally self-centred most people are. You may imagine that if you hardly get any votes it will be humiliating, everyone will think less of you, people will be pointing and laughing, etc, but the reality is that most people won't give you and your so-called humiliating failure a moment's thought because they'll all be far too wrapped up in their own concerns.

Personally, I'd admire you all the more for putting yourself out there.

Find your inner arrogance and harness it.

Think of it as finding bravery in bravado if nothing else helps.

Will you even know how many voted for you? Or will you just know who won?

Thanks for these comments, they make a lot of sense.

Will you even know how many voted for you? Or will you just know who won? I wish they would just read out the winners, but they read the numbers too!

Honestly, you have to just take the plunge and accept any hurt feelings that may come, knowing that you WILL get over it. Throw your hat in the ring and just power through. The anxiety you have thinking about it is far worse than any outcome.