Do you often feel offended by what people say about you? Do you take what they say too personally? Most people do.
Why should you care about what people say about you? Why let people affect how you feel? Do you want people to pull your strings? I am sure you don’t.
We want people to like us, even those we don’t know. The craving to be liked is strong. However, in reality, not everyone likes everyone.
We dress in a way we believe people will like us and often do foolish things to be liked, but this does not always work, and we get hurt.
There will always be people who will say something unpleasant about you, criticize you, or mistreat you. This is part of human nature; you probably behave this way sometimes.
People love gossip. Most small talk contains some gossip. But let’s be fair; often, it is not done to hurt. It’s done out of curiosity.
If you take what people say about you personally, you will be unhappy most of the time. That isn’t very smart. Why should you suffer if someone says something you don’t like? Forget it and move forward.
You shouldn’t take anything too personally. It’s not worth it. It creates unnecessary stress, inner turmoil, and emotional agitation.
To protect yourself, tell yourself, “I don’t care what people say about me.”
Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Care What People Say About You
I want to mention a few reasons why you shouldn’t dwell on what people say about you. Understanding these reasons would help you stop taking things too personally and worrying about what people say about you.
You hear your friends, family, or colleagues talking and assume it is about you. However, it could be they are talking about someone else. This wrong assumption often happens, causing resentment, unhappiness, and estrangement.
If you keep an open mind, develop self-esteem and confidence, and avoid taking things personally, your life will be happier. You might say it’s next to impossible to behave in this way. However, it becomes possible if you are determined to make it possible.
Let’s now talk about the reasons why you shouldn’t mind what people say about you.
Before we start, I would like to point out that if the criticism is justified, you need to learn from it and improve yourself. However, it’s best to ignore it if it is not justified or you are unsure if what you heard is about you.
Related article: Discover How to Protect Yourself from Negative Emotional Involvement
1. People Might not Be Talking About You
You can save yourself a lot of discomfort and anger if you do not jump to conclusions without thinking and being sure first.
You might think they are talking about you, but they might be talking about someone else.
When people criticize someone or say nasty things, they might be subconsciously talking about themselves. They are referring to their own habits and behavior. They dislike some things about their own life and are directing their opinion about themselves toward others.
Subconsciously, they might be criticizing themselves.
Related: 7 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Be Offended by What People Say.
2. What People Say and Think Is Their Own 0pinion
Always remember that what people say is their own opinion, not the opinion of all people. What they think and say most often cannot hurt you unless you allow it.
These people might be unhappy, unsatisfied, and unfulfilled. They direct their anger and dissatisfaction toward the people around them. Acknowledging this behavior can save you a lot of stress and emotional agitation.
Do you always accept other people’s opinions? No, you don’t, and you do need to accept other people’s opinions about you.
You need to learn to let go and relax emotionally and mentally.
3. Minding What People Say Can Get You Into Unnecessary Arguments
Caring about what people say about you can create stress, emotional agitation, anger, and rash reactions. These can lead to senseless arguments, conformations, and even fights. Do you need that? Of course not!
If you get into an argument with someone, he or she might say more things about you that you won’t like, which could lead to more unnecessary anger, resentment, arguments, and confrontations.
You need to develop a certain degree of emotional detachment to make you immune to the words people say about you.
4. It’s a Waste of Time and Energy
Don’t waste your time and energy on trivial matters.
Thinking and overthinking about assumed hurts, criticism and other people’s opinions about you agitates your feelings and wastes your time and energy, which you could have spent on more important matters.
Often, people replay in their minds scenarios and words people said, unable to stop this vicious cycle. You shouldn’t allow that. If you do, you let others play with your mind and emotions.
It’s like being a puppet on a string. You should become the master of your mind. This might not be easy, but it’s possible with some mental training, and the rewards are great.
5. Don’t Allow Yourself to Be Manipulated
Minding too much about what people say and think about you makes it easier for them to manipulate you and make you react and behave in certain ways.
Instead of displaying strength and confidence, you display the opposite when you take personally what people say to you or about you. You allow them to play with your reactions and with your mind.
Conclusion
Be careful with your thoughts and reactions. Don’t act like a puppet on a string. You can choose your thoughts and reactions. You can decide which thoughts to accept and which to reject. When you do this, you will start living a happier and more peaceful life.
Tell yourself often, “I don’t care what people say.”
Browse this website, and you will find guidance, advice, and tips on improving your life, controlling your reactions, and becoming the master of your mind. You will find both articles and books to guide you to happier and calmer life,
