Authenticity and being yourself Archives - Page 4 of 8

Haters

May 30, 2019 by Zero Dean

“Inner Peace begins the moment you choose not to allow another person or event to control your emotions.”

While confronting the people who harbor ill will against you can sometimes result in a peaceful resolution, it often doesn’t.

So rather than confront one’s haters, it may often be best to let people be wrong or mistaken about you than waste your time trying to convince them of something they are likely to refuse to believe anyway.

“Be selective in your battles, sometimes peace is better than being right.” — Unknown.

Anyone using their time to bash you is really saying you are the most important use of their time. Because of all the things in the world they could be focused on, they’re focused on you.

In an odd way, it’s almost as if having haters is a compliment. You are so important to them that they would rather spend their precious time giving you (negative) attention than doing anything else.

And while you can’t control critics, you can control how you react to criticism.

And one of the most effective ways to react to unjustified criticism to ignore it — and instead focus on whatever it is that helps you meet your goals, makes life meaningful to you, or makes you happy.

“My philosophy is: It’s none of my business what people say of me and think of me. I am what I am and I do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. And it makes life so much easier.” — Anthony Hopkins

Haters, more than anything, want your attention. You don’t have to give it to them.

Learning to not have to explain one’s self is one of life’s rewards.

Learning to not get emotionally invested in what people think of you one way or the other is another.

“Life is too short to stress yourself with people who don’t even deserve to be an issue in your life.”

People will like and respect you or they won’t — and getting people to like you doesn’t involve convincing them to.

The best thing you can do is just be yourself and let others make up their own minds. No amount of hate from a tiny minority is going to convince those who know the true you to think otherwise.

Anyone that is so easily swayed to think the worst about someone without giving them any direct consideration or benefit of the doubt isn’t the type of person you want to associate with anyway.

Just be a good person, lead by example, and let people think what they want, the rest will take care of itself.

“Stop letting people who do so little for you control so much of your mind, feelings, and emotions.” — Will Smith

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Originally Published on: Mar 22, 2014 @ 19:36

Seeing things differently

May 23, 2019 by Zero Dean

Seen in a meme:

“Sometimes I think I’m crazy because I see things differently than everyone else.”

You’re not crazy if you don’t always agree with the crowd. Group dynamics is one of the most powerful forces in human psychology.

The Asch conformity experiments demonstrate that even the most seemingly logical of people can be influenced to make bad decisions due to one’s internal desire to conform to group expectations.

“Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within groups of people, in which the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative ideas or viewpoints.

…The primary socially negative cost of groupthink is the loss of individual creativity, uniqueness, and independent thinking.” — Wikipedia

Group dynamics can cause people to act irrationally and at their own expense or the expense of others.

Group dynamics can cloud the truth, cause us to desire junk, turn us against people we love, and even follow & support leaders who would do us harm.

Group dynamics is often at the core of prejudice and discrimination.

Independent thinking is far less common than it should be. It should be praised.

It takes an exceptional kind of integrity to stick up for what you believe is right and true when facing a group.

Being able to see things differently is a valuable skill and is often what allows us to make great strides in technologies and processes that benefit all. Due to group dynamics, however, truly new and original ideas are often ridiculed before they are accepted.

“For a work to be truly creative, it has to depart from the status quo at some point. That departure makes many people uncomfortable.” — David Burkus (99u)

The ability to see things differently than the crowd and maintain one’s integrity despite pressure to conform is a gift. Being able to see things differently than other people doesn’t make you crazy. It makes you valuable.

“The person who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The person who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been before.” — *Francis Phillip Wernig

Originally Published on: May 5, 2015 @ 08:41

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To thine own self be true

May 7, 2019 by Zero Dean

The consequences of continually catering to others people’s expectations can affect everything in our lives, from the types of jobs we hold, to what we buy with our money, to the people we have relationships with, and how happy and fulfilled we are as a result. This is why if one wants to truly live an authentic and fulfilling life, it’s important to not only know thyself, but “To thine own self be true.”

Self-confidence is a byproduct of a stable sense of self-worth.

May 7, 2019 by Zero Dean

Self-confidence is a byproduct of a stable sense of self-worth.

A stable sense of self-worth is a byproduct of self-acceptance.

If you wish to be more self-confident, learn to accept yourself as you are.

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Originally Published on: Oct 1, 2015 @ 06:33

Stay true to you

April 5, 2019 by Zero Dean

Those who stay true to themselves don’t live their lives seeking other people’s approval. They live their lives based on their own heart’s desires and ultimately attract the kinds of people who genuinely appreciate them for it.

Weird is just another word for uncommon

December 31, 2019April 3, 2019 by Zero Dean

Weird is just another word for uncommon. Being weird is not a bad thing. In fact, it can be one of the best things.

Understand that the majority of your power does not lie in the things that make you just like everyone else. Your power lies in the unique combination of things that make you, you.

Your power is not in pleasing everyone

January 11, 2019 by Zero Dean

Whether you’re an artist, creator, or just being yourself, your power does not lie in trying to please everyone. Your power lies in being the best version of *you* that you can be (whether people like it or not!) Stop putting your sense of self-worth in other people’s pockets.

— Zero Dean (@ZeroDean) January 11, 2019

Society is a hypocrite (but you don’t have to be)

December 22, 2018 by Zero Dean

SOCIETY: Be yourself. Be unique. Be original. Stand out. Express yourself. Take the path less traveled. Take a leap of faith. Do your own thing. Dance to a different beat.

ALSO SOCIETY: You’re doing it wrong. What an idiot. That’s stupid.

Society is a hypocrite (but you don’t have to be).

It’s better to be your genuine self…

October 22, 2015 by Zero Dean

Excerpt from: Don’t live your life wearing a disguise.

It’s better to be your genuine self and have fewer of the right kinds of people in your life than it is to surround yourself with those who only accept you as long as you conform to their idea of who you should be.

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Never stop seeking meaningful ways to improve yourself

October 7, 2015 by Zero Dean

Never stop seeking meaningful ways to improve yourself and you will be rewarded with a life that attracts & reflects more of the things that are meaningful to you.

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