Even when we see the value of changing the situation, it can be very difficult to relax our hold on what we believe—or want to believe—is right and real.

This can be especially true if we think that doing so might affect how others judge us.

People who care very much how others feel about them tend to cultivate and present a particular image, even a negative self-image can become the anchor for an individual’s personality and sense of empowerment to the extent that losing it would leave him or her with no sense of place or position. 

Revelations of Mind