“I don’t care what anybody thinks” is a sentiment that is lauded. The care free, do-whatever-I-want mentality is one that strikes jealousy in our hearts. It exudes freedom and a certain “above it all” quality.
But nobody doesn’t care about what other people think. That’s a farce. “I don’t care what anybody thinks” is just another impression people try to give so that they look carefree. In reality they care that people think they don’t care.
Or maybe they do really not care what others think. In that case they’re likely not very nice. If you don’t care what other people think you likely care far too much about what you think of yourself. If you don’t care what people think you become someone who loves his own opinions and the proclamation of them, all others be damned.
There is a fine line between caring too much and too little what people think. If we care too much we become wishy washy shills and tools in the hands of fads, trends, and influencers. If we care too little we become irrelevant, unkind insulters. If we care too much we are at the mercy of others and their whims. If we care too little we are the mercy of our own blind spots and propensities for failure.
We’ve heard it said that “you cannot let what others think of you dictate how you make decisions.” That’s true, but we must let what others think of us influence how we make decisions. We don’t control how people think of us, but it’s important that we consider how they might. Considering this helps us communicate what is pertinent in a winsome way.
Care what people think so that you can love them, teach them, and influence them. Don’t care so much that they determine who you are or what you do.
