Do You Really Not Care What Other People Think?

[Jackalope]

"I don't care what anybody says!"

"I'll do what I want, say what I want, and dress what I want!"

Now, I'm sure we all know that this is easier said then done, especially for, I think, younger people, since older, (and I mean older) people typically don't give a **** since they've lived through it all. Anybody can be the tough guy and say that they will do and wear what they want. But when it comes down to it, do you really not care what others think of you?

**POINTLESS BACKSTORY TIME. READ ONLY IF YOU'RE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, TO THE SIXTH POWER BORED.**

I'm a junior in highschool. I've had some issues in the past, and I've done (and continue to do) stupid things. Some days, I would wear cosplay wigs to school. When I first got into makeup, since nobody taught me and I had to find out for myself online (I don't like the way my mother does her makeup. Sorry, mommy, I love you!) I would wear the ugliest makeup possible. I wore some...pretty interesting clothes some days.

One of my best friends, despite all the weirdness admired me and told me that unlike some people I, "Really and truly do not care what other people think." Well, honestly, I don't. I'm not confident, I'm a shy person with low-self esteem who stutters and I always end up regretting something I've said or done the morning prior. Basically, I'm an idiot. It's not that I don't care what other people think about me, I'm just a moron!

Well, what about you? Be honest now. You're probably not as dumb as me to wear pink wigs and lolita to school thinking its a good (and convenient) thing. Do you care what other people think? Just curious.

 

[Ventus]

I'm a junior in high school...really I don't care what others think of me (bar teachers and other "important" people who can change your life around with a couple signatures). I constantly scream out curse words, *****, and things like "polygamist" which aren't accepted in my school. I walk with my hands in places where they shouldn't be - otherwise known as walking like a knuckle scrapper. I use a shrill, high-pitched (redundant?) voice from time to time. I play JRPGs and more specifically, Kingdom Hearts which is commonly noted as "Gay"; it is, though...I hav esuch a happy time with that game series.

So really, people don't matter to me in the long run. You do you and I do me.

 

[CynicalSquid]

Honestly, yes.

I will be myself in some circumstances, but I'm self-conscious most of the time. I may say "I really don't care what people think.", but in my head it's like "I wonder how they think of me." It worries me.

I know, I'm a sophomore in high school and I have more to worry about. I just blame society in making us think a certain way and making me worry about being socially acceptable.

 

[MW7]

I definitely care what other people think, and that's a problem. Often you have to act like you don't care what other people think to get noticed, and then they realize you do care and suddenly you're not too popular anymore. I have immense respect for people that truly don't care though. A good example of someone who truly doesn't care is Norm Macdonald. He once ruined someone else's visit to a talk show just for the sake of getting laughs- norm saves the interview - YouTube.

 

[Heroine of Time]

Well, partially.

See, I care what other people think to the extent that if I think it will offend or hurt other people, I won't do it. I value people's opinions. However, if I disagree with them, and I don't think it's really harming anybody, I'm not going to easily change my mind.

Honestly, I think I could do just as well without friends as I do with friends. I'm part introvert in the sense that I really, really love singular activities like writing or video games, although I'm also an extrovert since I like talking with my friends. If they suddenly decided to leave, I'd be devastated, but if they only left because of some silly thing that I did, I'm not so sure I'd want them to be my friends, anyway. Of course, this is easier said than done, and I have yet to be in a situation where I must put this theory into action, but I still hope it's true. My friends are so great anyway that I doubt I need to worry.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, to be honest. I tend to go on long, long rants to my friends about pointless topics, and I whine and complain a lot. When it comes to annoying them, I do my best to avoid that; I think it's important to listen to them if I'm bothering them in some way, and I'm constantly asking them if I'm not being annoying or if I'm acting to loud or troublesome -- in that sense, I'm terribly self-conscious. However, sometimes I worry about how I'm perceived overall by them and think that they won't like me when I say something stupid, so I always remind myself that there's no reason to care about what they really think, since I'm my own person and I'm proud of who I am.

But when it comes to my unnatural obsession with The Legend of Zelda, I don't care if people are going to criticize me and say that it's stupid. I'll talk happily about my love for the games without fear. Same thing with how I dress. My mom always complains when I wear shorts with socks because apparently that's out of fashion or something, but I always tell her that I don't care. That's why I also don't wear makeup, or curse, or any of that. I don't feel the need to follow the crowd, even if I get strange looks and maybe even a few comments for my abnormalities.

I mean, that doesn't mean I'm perfect in that regard, because I still can get really embarassed or hurt when people insult things that I love. But I try my best to shrug it off.

EDIT: You know, I want to amend this a bit. XD And the reason I'm amending it is because of reputation. When I think about it, actually, that is a bit important to me. I guess that's also part of the reason I don't care when people make fun of my habits -- simply because I've had them for so long that they're a well-established part of my personality, and I don't want others to think that I'm not ACTUALLY doing that, and that it's pretend. Or something. But when I do something that's out of usual for me, I try quickly to go back and fix it. That's especially common on the internet – like, I constantly say I don't like arguing, but then I instigate arguments and later return claiming that I didn't mean to do so. So, yeah... I guess I'm just as hypocritcial and self-conscious as everyone else.

Sorry. I'm writing an abnormally large post as usual. I could discuss personality for forever.

 

[Mercedes]

I do, yes, but, not really in a vain way. I would really hate to come across as nasty or spiteful or something horrible like that; I don't think anyone really would so. Partly for myself but, for others too, so I care what other people think in that regard. Other than that, I've never really minded in all honesty. If I don't really like someone, I don't care about their opinion of me, so quite good at just blocking that out and ensuring my friends and people I care about think nice things! If a friend comes to me and says they don't like something I said or did, I'll always try and make up for it!

 

[misskitten]

It's not that I 'don't care' exactly, I think it's more that I 'don't mind'. It doesn't bother me if someone disapproves of me in some kind of way, but sometimes I actually like it if my hair, clothes or something else that's completely unrelated to how I behave and treat the people around me provokes people in some way. I like challenging people's perception and prejudistic views. I don't actually seek out ways to strike a nerve, but I also don't actively avoid it either. I am who I am, and if it bothers some people, then that's just the way it is.

I didn't grow up this way. During my childhood and especially my early teens I was desperate to be accepted, but was constantly shut down regardless of what I did to fulfil the criterias set by my peers. Through this constant rejection I learned the important lesson that the people in this world will always be divided into three groups: those that like you, those that dislike you, and those who are indifferent towards you. No matter what you do or say, there will always be people belonging to each of these three categories, and that's how I came to embrace who I am and not let whatever people think of me actually get to me.

So, if someone sneers at my choice to dye my hair green, then that is their problem (the other day some random guy huffed out the word "pig" at me, and it was just so silly I couldn't help but laugh). My most fun night on town ended up with me, my lesbian friend and her gay buddy sitting at a table having a in-depth discussion with a homophobic man in front of his much more open-minded girlfriend (the introductions alone were priceless) for well over an hour.

 

[videogamenerd10]

I usually don't care what other people think because I'm way different from everyone else. My thoughts and viewpoints are different, therefore my style and way of doing things is different. I'll always be the guy in school with the guitar everyday and nothing is going to change that.

 

[Sydney]

"polygamist"

I'm offended. :|
loljk

Do I not care? It depends, I usually do care. Sometimes I believe that words speak louder than actions, so sometimes what people say or think can impact me in a big way. Of course, occasionally I really can't care less about what people think, say, or do. I like being me, and I like who I am (sometimes)...

 

[ThePurpleKnight]

I care what a few people think, but barely, I know I will be hated by majority of the world, I am too unaccepting of poor moralitys so I hate most people, people generally don't like people who hate them, so they hate me back, the few I don't hate after spending a long time with them I guess maybe I care what they think, but I haven't kept up such a great image lately, I guess right now I only care what my best friend thinks, as long as she thinks I'm tolerable I know I am alright and do not need to commit seppuku yet.

Mmm bad joke, but seriously, few opinions matter to me and the only one that absolutly matters to me is my best friend.

 

[bunny]

This might sound kind of weird, but it depends.

As far as looks go, yeah, I'll admit I do care what people think. I don't go out in public looking like a slob; I try to look nice because I don't want people to think I don't care about myself. However, when it comes to other things like beliefs for example, I really couldn't care less if people don't approve. I believe in Jesus with all my heart and soul, and if people don't like that... Well... That's their problem, not mine.

Also, eh... This is kinda hard to explain... I would care to know if people think I have been rude or hurtful to them or someone else because I'd want to apologize and make it right with them so hopefully I won't do it again.

Other than that... yeah... no.

 

[Curmudgeon]

It's very simple. There are four groups of people

The ones that like you for the right reasons
The ones that like you for the wrong reasons
The ones that hate you for the wrong reasons
The ones that hate you for the right reasons

Surround yourself with the first, listen to the fourth. The rest is just noise.

 

[Jackalope]

Also, eh... This is kinda hard to explain... I would care to know if people think I have been rude or hurtful to them or someone else because I'd want to apologize and make it right with them so hopefully I won't do it again.

Other than that... yeah... no.

Oh no, that's totally normal! That's not what I meant at all, haha...all I meant was "do you not care what other people think about YOU." But obviously, if somebody is offended by a thing I've done or said, then I'd like to know. Especially with close friends.

 

[Dan]

This is a problem we all have. The problem is what people think of you has an impact on how plenty of people can view and treat you. If for instance one person thinks you are very weird for whatever reason, then they may influence others to think so too. Sure we can be all like "yeah I don't care", but if you are in a situation where you can't avoid these people then you're ****ed. I also believe that we are what people perceive us in a sense. If everyone thinks you beat up old women then you may be treated badly by others because of this.

To conclude I think it's quite fair to worry what people think of us, when others are so quick to judge, bad mouth and discriminate one another so quickly. This is why I dislike interacting with people most of the time, there are so many factors you need to worry about just to make sure your life is a little bit less annoying at times. Yes I care what others think about me, but only when it can mean trouble. (oh and of course I care about making sure not to upset people but I don't think that was what the op was asking)

 

[Jackalope]

That's true Dan, but hopefully nobody would pull that big of a dick move and spread around a rumor that you're a wife beater or something, unless you're in highschool....and it's not like anybody would ever hope to give off the impression of beating up little old ladies, anyways.