I often meet people who tell me they don't care what others think of them. Despite this, I have found that these same people often express fears of being judged.
Now, I may be crazy, but the phrase 'I Don't Care What People Think About Me' has reached near memetic status in our culture. A disdain for judgmental people has also become increasingly more prevalent.
This apparent inconsistency has led me to reflect on how I view the opinions of others. How much do I really care about what other people think? I act the way I want to act, but am I under the influence of pressure? Do I ever feel guilt or shame over my choices? Do I fear or wonder about what other people think despite my own agency?
After some internal debate, I decided that there was no one catch-all answer to this situation. I could imagine scenarios in which I would be foolish to rely on the opinions of others. I could also imagine scenarios in which I would be greatly strengthened by the opinions of others.
So my question is, when should I care about what others think about me? After all, it seems obvious that I can't live through life doing nothing but dissing the opinions of others.
This next Response Saturday will present my up-to-date opinion regarding when I should accept judgments and feedback. I will consider any arguments you deliver via the comments section or social media engagements.
I look forward to hearing what you all have to say.
I usually care what people think, but the range of care is quite wide. It goes from, "Well its good to know that you think that way" to "I think I'm going to completely change my life based on that". The former is much more common.
ReplyDelete