What Other People Think of You

We know we’re not supposed to care what people think of us. But as host Leslie Randolph explains on this solo episode of “Why Didn’t They Tell Us,” we are literally hard-wired to care what people think of us, to want to be liked and accepted, and to belong. At one time, when we all lived as members of tribes, the approval of others was literally a matter of life and death. To illustrate this, Leslie recalls her time spent living in South Africa and why the sight of a lone impala filled her with such dread. 

 

Caring about what others think isn’t such a bad thing. After all, it’s important to be mindful of other people’s feelings. The most important thing is to make sure our concern is mindful, and that we don’t please others and seek validation at the risk of our own self-confidence or sense of self. There is only one of each of us in the world, and it is our responsibility to the truest versions of ourselves. Leslie shares a story of shopping for a dress she loved but that her daughter hated, and what Leslie decided to do in response. 

 

So, let’s cut ourselves some slack. Caring what others think is a default setting, which won’t go away. But with Leslie’s help throughout today’s discussion, we can make a deliberate mental shift, and make sure our opinion of ourselves reigns supreme. Join the conversation to learn more about the upcoming Bully to Bestie Bootcamp, where you’ll learn more about self-confidence and positive self-talk. 

 

Quotes:

 

• “Doubt, fear, and anxiety are all part of the package of being a perfectly imperfect human. The only difference between those successful and self-confident people among us is that we don’t let those emotions be the decision-makers in our lives. We don’t let those emotions and the voices creating them, the thoughts creating those feelings, have the microphone in our minds.” (1:28 | Leslie)
• “We are biologically wired to care what other people think of us. It’s truly a primitive survival mechanism. Caring what other people think of you is part of that pack mentality that ensures your safety out there in the wild. I know we’re not in the wild, but some days it feels like that doesn’t it?” (9:48 | Leslie Randolph)
• “You are the only you in this world. You are the only you that we’ve got. It is literally your responsibility to be you. And if you have to be anything else, or less than you to win someone’s approval of you, then my friend, that is too high a cost. Then that someone’s not for you.” (15:27 | Leslie Randolph) 
• “Think about it: if you have to be something or someone else other than what you are for someone to like you, then they aren’t worth it. They’re literally not for you! That high opinion that you worked so hard to achieve is of someone that isn’t even you.” (15:56 | Leslie Randolph) 
  

Connect With Leslie:

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