Is it normal to care what others think but wish you didnt?

From the title I was going to click normal... but reading the extra six words has changed my mind!

The reason you care so much about what other people think has nothing to do with them and everything to do with yourself.

When you live inside your head (your Ego), you become super-sensitive about anything and everything, and you can't help but project your self-criticism onto other people. Thinking you disgust them as much as you disgust yourself, etc.

Killing your Ego isn't easy, but neither is changing the source of your validation. Self-validation is what you need to focus on, not the validation you get from others.

I think this is perfectly normal, but I might be a bit biased. I am like this as well. I uncontrollably care what others think of me and go out of my way to try and make people like me. People always call me 'nice', and say I'm so 'sweet'. I do like compliments, but I am also a firm believer that 'nice guys finish last' and it makes it more difficult to pick up girls, or be taken serious. I wish I didn't care what people think, and I have tried to not care, but it has always ended with me feeling really bad. When I am alone, I am very cynical and a pessimistic, and I don't really like people at all, but when I'm around people I have energy and I tend to smile and talk differently. I hate it. I think the only real way to change is to put in the full effort and get support like a psychiatrist.

Personally I don't really care what people think about me but my wife is a very sensitive person and is always worried about what others think about her and I. I think it's more indicative of women to feel Concerned what others think because they are sensitive nurturers.

Example we were downtown and both had to take a piss real bad, I couldn't hold it in anymore and duct into the alley and took a piss in the alley and she freaked out, where as she walked the extra block and used the restaurants restroom, if that makes any sense.