It’s none of my business what other people think of me.
My therapist told me this. When she initially said it, she prefaced it with, “I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but it’s none of your business what other people think of you.” It was, as Oprah would say, an “aha” moment. Sometimes even reality TV stars who become president of the United States have those moments when their stupidity actually makes some sense such as a July 2013 tweet:
I’ve just started blocking out some of the repetitive and boring (& dumb) haters and losers. They are a waste of time and energy!
Hmmm, Trumpy. I hate to admit it, but that’s actually quite smart. Ignore the “haters and losers.” Of course, in Trump’s world anyone who disagrees with him is a “hater” or “loser.” And I am one of his haters and I’m sure he would say I’m a loser too. But hey, it’s none of my business what Trump thinks of me.
But it’s a difficult thing, isn’t it? To not care about what others think of you. In sociology, George Herbert Mead came up with the idea of symbolic interactionism, the idea that our view of self comes from what we think others think of us. And that all of our behaviours are based on that. How do you not think about how others perceive you? And how do you ignore it? Especially when you’re not Trump and you can’t just fire anyone who doesn’t think you’re awesome.
For anyone with anxiety, the mirror is skewed with thoughts of what we think others think about us. It’s inescapable. Every person’s behaviour is scrutinized for a deeper meaning which often leads to the worst case scenario. The barista at Starbucks gave me milk instead of lactose-free beverage because he wants me to be constipated. The sales lady at Old Navy brought me the larger size because I look fat. I didn’t get the job because they found out I have mental illness. None of these things are true. Except maybe the last one. Could it be?
Apparently, God doesn’t give you more than you can handle. I’m not sure that’s true. I think it’s something someone made up to make us feel stronger when we are in the face of adversity. Because sometimes you are given responsibilities by others in your life and apparently, or so I’ve been told, God gave us free will. If other people with their own free will decide for you what it is you have to do, then you can be given more than you can handle. Did they do it because they thought I could handle it? Did they do it because they don’t like me? Did they do it because they wanted to see how far they could push me?
It’s none of my business what other people think of me. Ignore the haters and losers. I’ll just bury my head in a pile of bullshit and breathe it in until the smell festers within and I can’t take it anymore. Block it out, blot it out, blog it out. Nevermind the racing thoughts, the fleeting thoughts, the negative thoughts. Everyone’s a winner, baby, that’s no lie.
It matters. What other people think of me. I want to be liked. Doesn’t everybody
By the way, if you don’t like me, you’re fired. But it’s okay, because it’s none of your business what I think of you.
OH
Featured Image: Trump, Donald. Twitter. <https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump> October 12, 2017.
OH Words 
It’s his way or the highway. What other people think of us is none of our business. I tell myself this daily. Except when I’m at an interview and I want them think I’m the best person for the job. Then it’s my business 🙂
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Lol. So true
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EVERY SINGLE WORD resonates deeply with me Tammy! This masterful description provides a perfect glimpse into real plights faced by those of us affected with severe anxiety in the workplace. No matter how passionate we may feel about our jobs, this is the reality when we care too much. I know you have all the skills and inner resources you need to feel like your old self again.Take this time to focus on YOU instead of EVERYBODY else. You are wonderful and you SHINE, don’t lose sight of that. Glad to see you are writing 🙂
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Thank you, Ginny! Your words mean so much to me.
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Love it! So true! 😊
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