What Will They Think Of Me?

I always wanted to express what I feel about this question for a long time. I have seen several types of people, those who don't care about what others would think, those who are redundantly cautious about the surrounding, those who wind up in tormenting themselves with guilt for doing nothing, those who are reckless & careless even after being unpleasant to others and those who are reclusive and act as if they don't belong to the world. After all, this is what a society is composed of, Isn't it? Or else how would there be fun.

We are human beings and we are known for a social life. We embarked a society and colored it with a few protocols and trends to follow, a few people to love, few people to hate, few to guide and a few to misguide, few to tease and a few to appreciate. After a while we realized that I and you are a part of this. Individual identity was highlighted. We felt, it was good to create an impression in the society. We turned actors, poets, authors, scientists, engineers, doctors, teachers and more to create an impression on the society. In turn these professions catered us livelihood. We sustained, yet again to impress the society. In the modality of creating impressions, following trends and abiding the rules, we sabotaged our self-identity. We started living for others, to receive an approval from the society for our actions and decisions. We perpetually thought, 'What will he/she/they/others think about me?'

Every single time, be it  a seminar, a meeting or a classroom, we restrain ourselves from expressing, initiating and from being different. We wait for others approval for a new dress, a new haircut, a new idea, a new job and a new life. And it is just to boost our self-esteem and self-confidence. We often blame ourselves for others disapproval even though we do our best. We fear to grab a new opportunity, we fear to pursue what we love. We are afflicted with this thought and fear has masked us.

It is very hard to overcome this attitude as we have an identity only because of the society. There is a thing called as conscience which matters the most. When you want to something that is approved by your conscience, then bloody give no damn to the society. Great people have said, never dull your shine for somebody else because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind. Remember acceptance and approval is like love, people give it either freely or they don't give it at all.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. -Steve Jobs.