The question that lies behind this one is why do you care so much about the opinions of random people who have nothing to do with you and who maybe don’t want the best for you.

From a young age many of us have been programmed to behave in a way that earns approval from everyone around us. We have heard phrases like “Don’t cry on the street, look, this person is laughing at you” or “Don’t laugh too loud, you will wake up the neighbors”. But as adults, we must realize just how absurd such phrases sound and break away from their teachings.

Now ask yourself: Does it really matter if the cashier at the local supermarket thinks by nose is too big? Does it really matter if the neighbor believes I talk too much? Does it matter if my colleague thinks he’s better than me at the job? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then it is more important to ask yourself: is it because I fear these things are true or is it because I am in desperate need that everybody likes me?

The only opinions that truly matter are the ones of people who are close to you and/or have your best interest in mind. If they tell you that lately you’ve been procrastinating too much, or drinking too much, or obsessing too much with something, it is a good idea to listen. But everyone else is just a random person entitled to their own opinion of you from the limited perspective they have for you.