“Those who spend time looking for faults in others, usually make no time to correct their own.” – Art Jonak
Fighting a naysayer is like fighting a lion bare handed. You’re destined to lose no matter how much you struggle.
That’s why caring about what people think about you is a losers game. It serves no real purpose and does NOTHING to improve your self-esteem.
11 Reasons to Stop Worrying About Negative Opinions
Sometimes the HOW to do something is less important than the why. So here are 11 reasons why you should stop caring about people’s negative opinions of you. To hopefully motivate you to take action and make some changes.
1. The Clock is Ticking
“The trouble is you think you have time.” – Buddha
With each breath you take and each thought you think, the clock is ticking away. Time doesn’t care whether you wanna waste it foolishly or intelligently. It’s not its business to give a damn.
That being said, is it wise to drown yourself in the negative pool pit of other people’s opinions of you? Opinions that do nothing for you and benefit you in no way whatsoever?
Put this into perspective: We all get at least 60-80 summers on this earth.
80 summers? Do you realize how little that is? That’s not even 100, never mind 1000. So the last thing you need is to abuse your time by focusing on what he/she has to say about your work. Or whatever it is he/she is being negative about.
Time is too precious to let it waste away like a dying plant without water. Treat your time respectfully, and brush off the negative so you can use your time in a more positive way.
2. It’s Too Expensive
Never mind the luxuries of life, and all the fancy shit. A private jet or a £20K rolex can’t compare to the price of giving a damn about negative criticism.
Imagine how many people are out there who want to start a YouTube channel, yet are too afraid because they fear people’s negative opinions…
Or how many people fear starting a business because of the same thing. Or whatever else people want to do.
Decades from now you’ll come to regret it when you realize how much time you’ve wasted caring about what people might think.
And like the last point I made, the clock is ticking. Time doesn’t care how you use it. But you sure as hell need to care how you use it.
Worrying about criticism is definitely not one of the ways you should be using your time, either. It’s too expensive to pay for it.
3. There Are Too Many Cons vs Pros
Ben Franklin is said to have weighed up the pros and cons for every decision he made.
Whether he did or not, we should all do the same. Especially in situations like worrying about what people think.
The brutal truth is – worrying about what people think (in a negative context) has less pros than cons. Just like swimming in a lake in the Amazon forest has way more cons than it does pros.
It’s not worth it!
4. They Could Care Less About You
“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you If you realized how seldom they do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
What, you thought your critics spent their time thinking and caring about you? Yeah right!
People have lives to live. Even if their lives are negative. And you’re the last thing they’re thinking about. They’re not concerned about your well-being.
Though it seems like they care because they’ll go to extreme lengths to bring you down, they don’t care. So you’d be a lunatic to care about what they think or say.
In this scenario, you’re the loser. And there’s no sense in playing a losers game.
5. They’re Glad You Care About What They Think
I know. This contradicts the last point a little bit, but that’s the paradox of criticism.
Even though they’re not deeply concerned, some will get a lot of satisfaction out of knowing you care so much about their opinions.
Bullies are proof of this. Bullies bully because of this reason. The more you care and respond to it, the stronger the bully becomes. And the weaker you get because of it.
Why let them win at their own game? Your life has more meaning than that. Don’t waste your time.
6. It Says More About Them Than it Does About You
When someone criticizes you, they’re telling you WHO they are in so many words.
They’re telling you:
- They’d rather spend their time on you, then on themselves.
- They have nothing better to do than to bring you down.
- They’d rather you unhappy because they themselves aren’t happy.
- They’re jealous/envious because you have something they want.
And plenty of other reasons. It says more about them than it does about you, so don’t beat yourself up over it.
7. It’s Too Exhausting
Ever exercised intensely for an hour? Or had an argument so heated you literally feel like you’ve burnt out afterwards?
It’s exhausting. It’s tiring. And it saps away all of your energy.
Focusing your mind on caring about other people’s opinions is no different. In fact It’s even worse. You’re not just mentally drained, you’re drained physically, too.
You become drained from the stress, anxiety, anger, upset, negativity, and so on.
If you ask me I’d rather exhaust myself from exercising my mind by reading until my brain explodes, then exhaust myself from negative emotions and feelings.
8. You Have Better Things to Worry About
Life gives us enough to deal with as it is.
Worrying about that is more than likely better than worrying about what a stranger thinks of the way you look on the internet. Or whatever else they’re committed to criticizing.
Health problems. Death. Divorce. Money. Success. Relationships. Kids. Business. Happiness. Challenges.
These things and plenty more are on our plates already. And eating a bowl of negative stew will only leave an awful taste in your mouth.
9. You’ll Only Slow Yourself Down
No sense in being the tortoise when you can also be the hare. But seriously speaking, letting negativity stand in your way will be the red traffic light to your car.
Except the red traffic light won’t turn green. It’ll stay red until you decide to change your focus, brush off the BS, and get back on track.
Time is moving fast as it is. And slowing down for something unproductive isn’t a wise decision.
10. It’s Too Risky
Climbing Mount Everest is risky. It’s so risky that over 280+ have died trying to climb a 29,000+ ft mountain.
People die every single year trying to do it.
Worrying about what people think of you might not be as extreme or dangerous, but it still is. Here’s why:
- Your time is at risk.
- Your productivity is at risk.
- Your performance is at risk.
- Your mental health is at risk.
- What you should be focused on Is at risk.
- Your self confidence is at risk.
And so many other things are put at risk all because of getting too attached to what people think of us.
There are two types of deaths we can experience:
- Physical death. (Your heart stops)
- Spiritual death.
Caring about people’s opinions too much causes spiritual death. The WORST death of all.
What I mean is the worst type of death is dying from the inside out. When you die spiritually, you become the equivalent of a living zombie.
You no longer have the energy, the drive or determination to do the things you want to do. Because your spirit is so broken and shattered that you allow other people’s opinions to dictate your life.
Or as this quote puts it:
“Some people die at age 25, but it’s not made official until they’re 75.” – Unknown
11. You Have Your Own Problems to Deal With
We all have problems no matter what level we’re at. How far we’ve come. How much we’ve achieved or how far we aim to go.
There’s no logic in adding problems to your life that do nothing to make you happier, more fulfilled or successful.
So do yourself a favor and leave this type of problem where it belongs: In the garbage.
Summary
Here’s a quick recap of the 11 reasons to stop worrying about negative opinions:
- The clock is ticking
- It’s too expensive
- There are too many cons vs pros
- They could care less about you
- They’re glad you care about what they think
- It says more about them than it does you
- It’s too exhausting
- You have better things to worry about
- You’ll only slow yourself down
- It’s too risky
- You have your own problems to deal with