“I’m constantly amazed by how easily we love ourselves above all others, yet we put more stock in the opinions of others than in our own estimation of self… How much credence we give to the opinions our peers have of us and how little to our very own!”
MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 12.4
We all have that impossibly cool friend, the one who everyone else thinks is so independent and self-assured — and yet that same friend maddeningly spends an inordinate amount of time worrying what others think. Despite having every reason to not care what others think… they do!
Actually, we all do. Despite the obvious truth that we shouldn’t care about other people’s opinions of us, and despite the fact that we as humans are generally self-absorbed and self-centered — we still look to others for validation and approval.
But who cares what other people think? Opinions are like assholes of course — everyone’s got one, and why should I care what someone else’s opinion is of me? Isn’t my opinion the only one that matters, in that case?
Well my opinion of myself is actually the only thing that matters. I’m only trying to impress myself — nobody else. Trying to impress other people is futile and stupid. I’m not going to do it.
What I think of myself is the only thing that matters. I don’t care what other people think, because I can’t control that and it has no bearing on me.
