Honestly - why do we care so much about what other people think?
We spend our whole lives trying to live up to not only our own expectations, but the expectations set by the people around us. We watch what we say, we watch what we do, and we watch what we think. All because somewhere there is someone who might not agree and belittle us because of it. We constantly try to please people who in many cases don't even deserve our efforts. But why?
Quite frankly I haven't got a clue. I've spent years caring too much about what other people think. I remember it being the worst when I was younger. Those years in middle school can really test your self-confidence, and then I spent 4 collective years of high school worrying even more about what everyone was thinking - or worse, saying. It wasn't until I got my first serious boyfriend when I started to realize just how judgmental people can be, but also how much I was learning not to give a shit.
Now here I am at 23 and as much as there are still days when I consider what others might think, I have realized that life is too damn short to spend any more than a few seconds giving a fuck about it. Sure, take some input from the people who know you best and those who care about you, but as for the unsupportive bastards who are just there to bring you down - screw it. If people really love you, they will stick by you no matter what.
So instead of wasting time caring about what other people think, devote more time to self-love and appreciating the things that differentiate you from the crowd. Make decisions that you are proud of and say yes to things that make you happy (and say no to things that don't). And encourage your friends to do the same. Because life is so much more enjoyable when you can throw your hands up and say "IDGAF."
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