{"podcast":{"title":"Authentic Confidence with Dr. Aziz","slug":"authentic-confidence-with-dr-aziz-739023","podcast_index_feed_id":739023,"rss_url":"https://shrinkfortheshyguy.libsyn.com/rss","website_url":"https://www.socialconfidencecenter.com/podcasts/authentic-confidence-with-dr-aziz","image_url":"https://kajabi-storefronts-production.kajabi-cdn.com/kajabi-storefronts-production/file-uploads/sites/2147501487/images/18e67b-ce6-4704-4e38-1526461667_Podcast_Banner-3000x3000_04.jpg","author":"Dr. Aziz Gazipura, Psychologist and Author","episode_count":641,"summary":"Do you worry what other people will think? Does it make you doubt yourself, feel guilty, and ultimately stop you from being fully yourself? This can show up as people-pleasing and difficulty saying no. Or as social anxiety, staying silent in meetings, replaying conversations for hours afterward. Dr. Aziz Gazipura is a clinical psychologist and bestselling author of Not Nice. He's helped thousands of people break free from self-doubt and the fear of others' opinions. After 20 years of clinical work, Dr. Aziz discovered one pattern running underneath all of it. He calls it the approval trap: prioritizing approval over being yourself, saying what you mean, and going for what you actually want. This show is for the person who looks confident on the outside and doesn't feel it on the inside. New episodes every Wednesday. Next Steps: 1. Discover your approval type. Take the 2-minute quiz to find out which of the four patterns is running your work, dating, and social life — Diplomat, Avoider, Fixer, or Performer: www.draziz.com 2. Apply for the Unstoppable Confidence Mastermind. Dr. Aziz's flagship year-long program for serious work on confidence, authenticity, and freedom from self-doub…","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/authentic-confidence-with-dr-aziz-739023"},"episode":{"title":"Why You Keep Chasing Approval Without Realizing It","slug":"why-you-keep-chasing-approval-without-realizing-it","published_at":"2026-03-03T23:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/authentic-confidence-with-dr-aziz-739023/why-you-keep-chasing-approval-without-realizing-it","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/authentic-confidence-with-dr-aziz-739023","url":"https://www.socialconfidencecenter.com/podcasts/authentic-confidence-with-dr-aziz/episodes/2149172608","audio_url":"https://app.kajabi.com/podcasts/medias/2149172608.mp3","summary":"Most people don’t walk into conversations thinking they’re trying to win approval. They believe they’re simply being polite, agreeable, or easy to get along with. Yet beneath the surface, many people are unknowingly running a subtle pattern—constantly scanning others for signs that they’re doing well, saying the right thing, or being liked. In this episode, Dr. Aziz explores what he calls “approval harvesting.” This is the unconscious habit of tracking other people’s reactions—looking for smiles, laughter, nods, or praise—to determine whether you’re okay. While it may seem harmless, this pattern can quietly turn conversations, social gatherings, dating, and even workplace interactions into performances where the goal becomes getting approval rather than expressing yourself. Through relatable examples—like walking into a dinner party and monitoring every reaction—Dr. Aziz shows how this internal “approval tracker” can create social anxiety, performance pressure, and a growing disconnection from your authentic self. Over time, you may start filtering, softening, or reshaping what you say just to keep yourself in the “good column” of others’ reactions. At the root of this pattern lies a deeper equation many people unknowingly adopt: approval equals worth. When approval is present, you feel relief and validation. When it isn’t, self-doubt and anxiety surge. This dynamic can drive people-pleasing, overthinking, and a constant effort to manage how others see you. Dr. Aziz invites you to step back and observe this pattern in your own life. Instead of criticizing yourself for it, you’ll learn how to notice when approval harvesting appears—especially in uncertain social situations—and begin asking a powerful question: What would you do if your worth wasn’t on the line? Tune in…","meta_description":"Most people don’t walk into conversations thinking they’re trying to win approval. They believe they’re simply being polite, agreeable, or easy to get alo…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1109,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/authentic-confidence-with-dr-aziz-739023/episodes/why-you-keep-chasing-approval-without-realizing-it/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/authentic-confidence-with-dr-aziz-739023/why-you-keep-chasing-approval-without-realizing-it.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}