“You just want
to be as wonderful as everyone thinks you are and you know you're not.”
(1)
What the Hell? Tom Petty? One of the most enduring performers
in the last 40 years is insecure? Yes, and he is not alone. Years ago I wrote a
little essay on the Fraud Hypothesis (2) and came out as a fraud. Hey, it’s Ok
to be this kind of Fraud. Almost everybody has these moments of “if they only
knew” insecurity.
The NPR interview with Melissa Block touched on a lot of
aspects of Petty’s career, and if you are a fan you should go to the link
below. His line about knowing you are not as wonderful as they think got me
straight back to the Fraud Hypothesis. And I thought it was worth a reprise of
the idea. And here is why: You are not a fraud unless you actually misrepresent
yourself. And since you mostly don’t you are a normal person with normal anxieties
who is just getting by. Nothing wrong with that.
So, don’t worry that you will be “found out”. Just go in
with the attitude that you will do the best you can do, and be the best you can
be, and don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know” once in a while. That really
gives you credibility, and proves that you are not a fraud.
1. http://www.npr.org/2014/08/04/336608432/tom-petty-on-stage-fright-cheap-speakers-and-george-harrison
Image: http://www.culturebully.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/tom-petty-heartbreakers-mojo-cover.jpg
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