Does anyone else hate it when people look down on you for being a follower?

This honestly depends on the context. Sometimes, always following leads one to have an unhappy life, always looking up for people who are precieved as "bigger" or "smarter" than them and never going by the beat of their own drums.

Perhaps the people in your life just want you to be yourself and your own person rather than following everybody or everything that is taught to you. In the end, your life, your body, your beliefs, you heart... They're all yours at the end of the day, not others.

I was a follower for quite a bit in my earlier life, but eventually took charge and realized I'm more of a natural leader.

I've never really felt like people were looking down on me when I was a follower. In fact, many people that I "followed" always had my back. I found that I never really had to defend myself.

I find that when I'm in a leadership position, the reality is, I could -never- do it if I didn't have the support of the people that follow me. In essence, I would be nothing without them. I consider myself confident, all that, but even I get discouraged from time to time. Yet, nothing will set your pride on overdrive than seeing the passion in the people that depend on you. It's really a reciprocal relationship.

Sorry to hear about your situation, I don't see why anyone would really care to put you down for it though. Unless you were often used and manipulated by people in power. Then I might smack you around to get some backbone.

This whole leader/follower idea is a false dichotomy. I don't like to lead or be led. I am my own morality; my own government; my own master. To be quite honest, I pity those who remain "followers" throughout their entire lives. When you let somebody control you, you're admitting that they're better, or smarter, or more important than you. And in that process, you sacrifice your individuality - and I'd rather die than let that happen.

Just my $.02.

I follow myself.

I hate it when others look down on me for the wrong reasons. I'll always be quick to tell someone that not everyone has the ability to lead. Everyone has strength in different area's; it doesn't always have to involve leading. If they decide to give me more flack, I just ignore them. Why waste time with people that aren't going to make an effort to understand you, and attempt to make you feel like crap? It's not worth it.

Some people can lead, some can follow, some do neither. End of story.

Following is good. Leading is good. But why would you want to do either? You can't think for yourself (follower) or you like the power trip (leader). Maybe some independence is what you might be after, don't follow or lead, but carve your own path. By doing so you'll no longer care of what others think of you "yes I'm following what I choose to follow, why does it matter to you?" you will say with a righteous fist in the air. But your independence will be not to gain the approval of others (follower) nor to impress others into following you (leader) the end.

I was a follower all through school, then there came a point when I got really unhappy and broke away from my friends. I noticed that friends can be very fickle and even when you think they are on your side they can turn on you just as quick. I know this sounds negative but I was really unhappy having friends. I don’t always like being lonely and I would love to have a friend who I can rely on but I haven’t met anyone like this yet.

I’ve built up a strong independence and when I notice that I start slipping into being a follower again I kick myself back into finding things out for myself.

For me the negative of being a follower is that I rely on other people to tell me what's going on. By being independent I have myself to rely on when no one is around and I feel much happier about things because it means I don't have to have someone there to hold my hand or lead the way all the time.