Stop Caring What Other People Think Of You (How & Why Their Opinion Doesn’t Matter)

Does it matter to you what people think of you?

If you’re like most people, you do.

A recent research says that it is normal for people to care what other people think of them.

But if you care too much and change your life to fit what other people want, it may be time to stand up for yourself.

Spiritual master Osho gives some great advice about why you shouldn’t care what other people think of you in the passage below.

“Become a lion” by looking inside yourself.

Osho says that you shouldn’t care what other people think about you. Instead, you should look inside yourself:

“There’s nothing anyone can say about you. What people say is always about them. But you become very unsteady because you are still holding on to a false center. This false center is based on what other people think of you, so you are always looking at what other people say about you. And you’re always trying to please other people, because you’re always trying to do what they want. You’re always trying to be good, and you’re always trying to make yourself look good. This will kill you. Instead of being upset by what other people say, you should look inside yourself…

“When you’re self-conscious, it just shows that you’re not aware of yourself at all. You have no idea what you are. If you had known, there wouldn’t have been a problem. If you already know, then you don’t need other people’s opinions. Then you won’t care what other people say about you, because it doesn’t matter!”

“You’re in trouble when you’re self-conscious. Self-consciousness is a sign that you don’t know who you are. “The fact that you are worried about yourself shows that you haven’t come home yet.”

“The biggest fear in the world is what other people think of you. And as soon as you stop being afraid of the crowd, you stop being a sheep and start being a lion. Your heart fills with a great roar, the roar of freedom.”

Osho

Why you should start loving yourself

Osho says that you need to love yourself. And when you learn to love yourself, not only will you stop caring what other people think of you, but your self-growth will go through the roof:

“Love and respect yourself, and never, ever give in. Then, you’ll be surprised by how much growth happens on its own… as if rocks had been taken out and the river began to flow.”

But Osho says it’s hard to love ourselves because we haven’t learned to accept who we really are:

“Accept yourself,” says Lao Tzu. All problems start with people who won’t accept others. We don’t like ourselves. The more a person doesn’t like himself, the more others see him as a mahatma. We are the worst enemy we have. If we had our way, we’d cut ourselves up to get rid of what we didn’t like.”

Osho says this has a lot to do with our ego because it makes us feel empty:

“Always remember that whatever the personality brags about is the exact opposite of what you know to be true. If you feel stupid on the inside, your personality will show that you are smart. If you feel unloving on the inside, your personality will make you seem very sweet, happy, and loving. It’s not just to trick other people; it’s mostly to trick yourself. You want to forget how mean you were. If you feel empty on the inside, your personality will start collecting a million things.

So, the question is, how do we let go of the ego?

Osho says that we can get rid of our egos by meditating:

“Love will find you on its own if you meditate and slowly, slowly get out of your ego and personality and into your real self. You don’t have to do anything, because it just happens on its own. But it can only grow in a certain setting, which I call meditation.

When you’re in a state of silence, with no thoughts, no disturbances inside, and complete clarity, peace, and quiet, all of a sudden you’ll notice that thousands of flowers have opened inside you, and their scent is love. First, you’ll love yourself, since that’s the first person you’ll meet. First, you’ll notice the scent that’s coming up in you, the light that’s been born in you, and the happiness that’s pouring over you. Then love will be a part of you. Then you’ll love many people, and then you’ll love everyone.”

Meditation can be done in a lot of different ways. But Osho says that the best way to meditate is to become a “observer of the mind.”

He tells them how to do it:

“To start meditating, you have to be separate from your mind. That’s the only way to get away from something. If you look at the light, one thing is clear: you are not the light. You are the one looking at it. If you’re watching the flowers, there’s one thing you know for sure: you’re not the flower, you’re the one watching.”

“The key to meditation is to watch:

“Watch what you think.

“Don’t do anything. Don’t repeat a mantra or the name of God. Just watch what your mind is doing. Don’t stop it, stop it from happening, or try to stop it. Don’t do anything at all. You just watch, and the miracle of that is that it helps you meditate. As you watch, your mind slowly stops thinking, but you’re not falling asleep. Instead, you’re becoming more awake and aware.

“When your mind is completely empty, your whole energy is on fire with awakening. Meditation has brought about this flame. So, you could say that meditation is another word for watching, witnessing, or observing something without judging or evaluating it. Just watching takes you out of your mind right away.”