Reasons not to care what anyone thinks of you

• Posted on January 28, 2016
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

1. Life’s too short

You only have one life to live, so why would you spend it worrying about other people’s opinions? Do whatever you want and be whoever you want. You’re not going to see these people after you’re dead. You probably won’t even see them in a year from now. Live your life without worrying about other people’s thoughts and opinion, and you will live your life to the maximum.

2. It’s not their life, so it’s none of their business

People are entitled to think whatever they want just as you are entitled to think what you want. Regardless of what people think of you, it doesn’t change who you are or what you are worth, unless you allow them to. This is your life to live. At the end of the day you are the only person who needs to approve of your own choices.

3. What’s right for someone else may be completely wrong for you

It’s important to recognise that someone’s opinion is often based on what they would do and this is the problem. What is best for somebody else could potentially be the worst thing for you. What one person considers garbage can be another person’s treasure. We are all so unique. Only you know what is right for you.

4. It will keep you from your dreams

If you’re constantly worried about what other people think, you will never get to where you need to go in life. And if you think about it, you’re going to have to do things that don’t always meet people’s standards. You will come into situations where you have to put your pride, and your reputation on the line to get what you want. If you are constantly worried about what people are thinking, you will never have the will to do what’s right.

5. You’re the one stuck with the end result

In life you’re the one stuck with the consequences of your decisions, and the only one. Similarly, if you follow someone else’s advice and it doesn’t work out for you, you will be the only one who it effects at the end of the day and you will have to live with the fact that you didn’t follow your inner call to begin with. When people give you their suggestions or even orders, there is no risk for them. They don’t have to live with your choices, but you do.

6. People’s thoughts change on a regular basis

We are constantly changing. There’s even been some theories that we’re in a constant state of internal motion, to the extent that we can’t say we have one, specific ‘self’ or a fixed personality. People’s thoughts, ideas and views change on a regular basis because it’s simply a part of life.

That means even if somebody does think badly of you at the moment, there is a good chance they will think differently in the near future. So basically, people’s thoughts don’t really matter.

7. Others don’t care as much as you think

People generally don’t think outside themselves a great deal of time. It is a sad but simple truth that the average person filters their world through their ego, meaning that they think about most things in terms of “me” or “my”.

This means that, unless who you are or what you have done directly affects another person or their life, they are unlikely to spend much time thinking about you at all.

8. It’s impossible to please everybody

You can’t please all of the people all of the time. It is impossible to live up to everyone’s expectations so there is no point in burning yourself out trying to do so. Just make sure that one of the people you please is yourself!

9. they don’t know what’s best for you

Nobody will ever be as invested in your life as you. Only you know what is best for you, and that entails learning from your own choices. The only way you will ever truly learn is through making your own decisions, taking full responsibility for them, and that way if you do fail at least you can learn from it instead of blaming somebody else.

10. You reap what you sow

Worrying too much about what other people think of you can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Frequently, people indulge their need to be liked to such an extent that it actually dictates to the way they behave. Some become people-pleasers or so submissive that many people are turned off. So what happens is your constant pleasing behaviour (used to ensure you are liked) may actually cause you to be disliked and it quickly becomes counter-productive.