Irrational Fear and Self-Consciousness

Are people looking? Are people judging? Chances are, they're probably not. That is, unless, you truly are meant to be the centre of attention. People spend a lot of time worrying about what other people think of them, when in reality, people are more likely to be in exactly the same position, worrying about themselves and what other people think of them. So why do we let ourselves be crippled with this irrational fear and uncontrollable state of self-consciousness? Probably because given the chance, we judge other people in a way we wouldn't like to be judged ourselves. This is starting to sound contradictory, but it is something to be aware of...