Words and actions unconsciously affect your mind and even your daily actions. The words that come out of someone’s mouth have an impact, whether small or big. This impact can make you overthink.
You’re like that too, we all have a mouth and a mind to say the right words when communicating. That way, you can control what you want to say without having the intention to hurt others.
We all have our own routines, where those are activities that are right and perfect for ourselves. You with your unique daily life, and only you understand your own life, but often other people interfere by commenting on it. And that’s annoying.
Imagine if we’ve already stopped talking bad about someone, but there are still people who keep messing with our lives. You would also feel annoyed and uncomfortable with this.
Stop Caring Too Much: Why You'll Be Happier If You Don’t Listen to What People Say
To limit the effects of words and opinions from others that can make you feel uncomfortable and unhappy, here it will be explained why you can be happier if you don’t care about what people say.
1. Reduced Social Comparison Leads to Greater Well-being
Happiness comes from us creating it, not from looking for it anywhere else. Happiness comes from within. When you can’t create that happiness because you’re too busy worrying about what other people say, you’re also hurting yourself.
What other people say shouldn’t be something you think about too much because it affects your life—you’ll end up thinking about it over and over again, and you might even start comparing yourself to what they say.
Comparing yourself to someone else’s life will only hurt you and make you feel uncomfortable living your own life. The only comparison you should make is between your current self and your past self.
If you don’t overthink what others say, you won’t be easily or clearly affected, and your focus on yourself will become your inner strength in creating happiness.
2. Autonomy Increases Happiness
It’s undeniable that some of you listen to other people’s advice—whether it’s about how to live according to their so-called better standards, or just making choices they think are right for you. But actually, you have full control over your own life.
The more you follow other people’s standards and believe that it’s the best way, the more trapped you’ll feel. You have the power to find your true self without hurting yourself, and to be yourself without becoming someone else. It means you don’t need to force yourself to be what others want.
The choices you make consciously and independently will make you feel better and happier than becoming someone you’re not. This means you are responsible for your independence in choosing what you love.
There’s nothing wrong with listening to others. What’s wrong is following others when it goes against your own life values.
Do your work based on your passion—it tends to make you more satisfied. It’s the same in a relationship—if you already feel controlled by your partner, you’ve lost the independence within you, and you might be happier if you’re not with them.
3. Authenticity Improves Psychological Health
Honesty is what you need the most to feel that you are valuable. That’s why you should know yourself without pretending to be someone else. Don’t over-adjust just to fit in.
Express your feelings honestly without being afraid of being judged, because other people are not responsible for your life choices. This way, you’ll feel more relieved and less stressed because you’ve been honest with yourself.
At the very least, by not lying for the sake of comfort, you’re already showing that you value yourself. Lying to yourself is one of the ways to stop growing, and it shows you don’t care about how you treat yourself.
Living life with honesty makes things feel more comfortable and less of a burden, because the mental load of hiding lies will no longer weigh you down.
4. External Validation Does Not Lead to Lasting Happiness
Why do you feel happier when people praise and recognize you? It’s because recognition makes you feel validated in your social life and brings satisfaction that makes your heart feel good. But in reality, validation isn’t that good for your life.
You expect more just to get good opinions from your friends and people around you. This might become an addiction that you look for every time you want to be heard. Human nature is dynamic, so what you hear today might change and even hurt you or make you question your feelings. This means validation from others doesn’t last because of certain changes.
Happiness doesn’t depend on what people praise about you, and the same goes for the hate they express. You can make yourself happy by not placing too much hope on the validation that made you feel good that day.
5. Reducing Fear of Judgment Lowers Anxiety
The one who knows and understands you best is yourself. Everyone has the right to judge, but that’s outside of your control. You can’t control people’s thoughts or words, so free yourself from the fear of being judged too much.
Thinking about everything others say about you can make your mood worse, and of course, it can reduce your happiness. People do that because of their own self-control, so it’s just how they are. And you can’t control everyone in this world. What you need to do is stop caring about their judgment.
Every day, there are many criticisms and negative thoughts about you—so what will you do? Isn’t begging others not to judge you the most exhausting thing?
Stop being afraid of not being liked by others. After all, sometimes you don’t like other people either, right? And you can control that. Fear is what you can control. People will keep saying what they want, and you should know how to limit what you let yourself hear.
The less fear you hold on to, the less anxiety you’ll carry in the future.
Wrapping Up
In the end, your happiness is in your own hands—not in the opinions, judgments, or validations of others. When you stop comparing yourself, stop depending on praise, and start trusting your own choices, life becomes lighter. You don’t need to please everyone or live by their standards. The more honest and independent you are with yourself, the more peace and joy you’ll feel. Reducing your fear of judgment and caring less about what others say is not selfish—it’s a healthy way to protect your mind and focus on what truly matters: your own well-being.