Truth

"i don't care what other people think."

we've all heard it. we've all said it.
but it's not true.

it's a defense mechanism. if we proclaim it to the world that other people's opinions about us don't matter to us, then they can't hurt us. it's almost like being in denial, trying to convince oneself that nothing we do/feel is affected by other people's feelings and actions.

yes, our indifference lies on a spectrum. nobody cares how they look when they're just taking out the trash, or even when they're mingling with their close friends. it's a conditional mechanism, this whole "not caring" bullshit.
i guess we should really say, "i don't care what other people think of __________ when __________."


i don't care what other people think of how i look when i'm at work.
i don't care what other people think of how i look when i'm feeling shitty.
i care what other people think of how i look when i'm out to have a good time.
i care what other people think about my character most of the time.

it's good to care. we have to care in order to maintain good relationships with the people around you.
unfortunately, some people just don't care enough.
they don't care that they've left their friends out in the cold after they were "done" with them. they don't care about honoring the truth.


it's not bad to care about what other people think, but it's dangerous to only care about yourself.
there are some other words to describe that.


if you think about it,
would a person need to proclaim that they're beyond other people's criticisms when that, in fact, is true?