[Raichan]

The fear of potentially looking stupid is not worth anything to assess any importance in my life anymore. It has costed me nights of endless tears and bouts of wanting to hurt myself.

I have decided that. I've had enough.

I cannot lie to my heart, I cannot lie to my intuition and I cannot fool myself no matter what people might say or think. I no longer want to risk having an empty life in the end.

 

[arc72]

I think that's both rational and courageous! I'd like to meet someone in real life who lived by this principle.

 

[Roland]

Doing yoga daily has put me in this mindset. I couldn't care less of what anybody else thinks. I'd walk down the street naked - calm breath, chest out - shameless.

Yoga is attained when one ceases to identify with the movements of the mind, and identifies with the self beyond the body and mind.

 

[Raichan]

Oh man.. why do people have to bump my old threads :crazy: LOL

I'm not afraid of judgment as I was back then

 

[Mr.T]

Your post is without a peg to weigh it on.

Looks like a facebook update status by someone nobody likes.

Drop the purple, self-pain, and bold offensive lettering and tell those folk you aren't fond of ( it's fair obv. you dislike at least one person) and rock out at least one "go fuck yourself"

Good luck buddy, ripping off those old "clothes" is a wicked thing to do.

 

[Raichan]

It's a very old thread *rolls eyes*

 

[Joshua Cheatham]

You said that you've gotten over your fear of judgment so I'll say this for anyone interested in reading.

This probably is a concern to any and all young people with any complexity to them. The best way to get over it is to accept the fact that people are judging you all the time. You will look like a fool at times throughout your whole life. Everyone experiences this because we're all human and subject to error and misunderstanding. Therefore you must practice being an idiot. Be a fool around people who are irrelevant to you so you become comfortable with feeling that way and you will soon realize that it doesn't matter at all. You can't be right all the time so practice being wrong. Feel it deeply and accept it as a part of life. You will change your whole world by understanding humility.

 

[dancininrain]

but itsnt it important, to an extent, to care about what people think about you? if you didnt then you may say or do things that will hurts others, and in the long run, yourself.

 

[Belovodia]

I found freedom by practising idiocy and laughing at myself - others love it;
it frees them up to embrace their own inner idiot.

 

[Joshua Cheatham]

but itsnt it important, to an extent, to care about what people think about you? if you didnt then you may say or do things that will hurts others, and in the long run, yourself.

Yes, but I'd argue that the motivation of concern is self-consciousness and taking oneself too seriously. If one is concerned with harming another it is less likely that one's behavior would be as stifled as one who is self-conscious. That is how I interpreted the initial posting on the thread.

If that is the case, and your actions are stifled for fear of harming others, ask yourself to what extent should one feel hurt by another's words? People bruise easily when they take themselves too seriously. They become rigid in their self-concept and make themselves fragile. Be water and if you bruise another unintentionally then apologize. They will eventually learn to be more flexible and forgiving.

I found freedom by practising idiocy and laughing at myself - others love it;
it frees them up to embrace their own inner idiot.

Yeah, it's very disarming and charming in certain situations. I've noticed that women love it most of the time too. Most girls can't stand a guy who takes himself too seriously.

 

[WeirdRaptor28]

I'd say... embrace your stupidity and use the shit you get to fix what you feel like you need to fix.

 

[SalvinaZerelda]

I don't mind LOOKING stupid but I don't want people I care about to think I'm actually a complete idiot and take advantage of my naivety.. Sometimes I like peoples' reactions to stuff I say or do. but if I'm going to consider them a friend and show that side regularly, I MUST trust them.

 

[Roady82]

This seemingly simple, almost the basics of a healthy psychological perspective. You first must "like", no not like, unquestionably and unwaveringly have faith in who you are and deeply understand why that's important to you. Only then, can you even question the opinions of other peoples interpretation of you. For example, I have no views or opinions that coincide with any social convention or ideology inherited by any institution... My views and opinions are strictly based on my personal values that I believe in to the core... even at the absolute lack of approval from ANYONE. Because my values are based on internal subjectivity fed by outside objectivity, I can strongly and confidently say that if you don't like my opinion, fuck off... please. Because only I live my life, and I chose what makes me happy, not the inherited blind insecurities of the masses.

 

[justjay]

There's this really cool karaoke bar up the street from me. I'll walk up there after midnight and just watch everyone sing. I like to dance there, and I have no problem doing this in front of people. But I would never sing. Ever. I really don't even like raising my voice to yell too loud for people.

I'll go to the park while listening to my iPod, and I'll practice how I would do it. The Toadies, 'Possum Kingdom'. I feel like if I sang it people might think I'm trying too hard, but that's how I express myself. It's weird, I wouldn't go on stage to sing because it's a fun thing to do, I would go up so I could just share how I felt. And that's the fun part to me. It's just a bunch of drunks having fun, why can't I just let loose?

 

[Elistra]

but itsnt it important, to an extent, to care about what people think about you? if you didnt then you may say or do things that will hurts others, and in the long run, yourself.

Only if it is reasonable for them to be hurt given what happened, AND if they don't deserve to be hurt.

If either is not true, fuck 'em.

 

[bigstupidgrin]

The difference between stupid embarrassing and stupid funny is your reaction to yourself. Might as well make it funny.

First of all, I totally have an advantage in this department working with kids. They look stupid all of the time, they laugh it off all of the time, it's a great environment for looking stupid. Certain words are difficult to pronounce for me, especially the word synonym. If I I'm low on sleep, 50/50 shot I'll say cinnamon . The kids can laugh, but I'm laughing too so it's all good.

In the adult realm, karaoke, well controlled drinking games, golf if everybody's terrible at it. It's kind of like how people are afraid of public speaking. You realize that since everybody feels afraid of it, and nobody's really judging you, then the fear starts to go away.

 

[Elistra]

You want to know what the really stupid thing to do is?

Letting your fear of other people's opinions of you hold you back.

If you are fortunate enough to live in a first world country, you live in a land where even homeless beggars occasionally get meat to eat. Think about that.

If people turn their noses up at you because you had the "nerve" to be yourself rather than who they think you ought to be, does it even remotely MATTER in the final analysis? What are they going to do about it? Is there really anything they can do about it that will block you from getting what you need to survive in this world? Not at all. They can sit and spin, and fuck 'em.

People waste so much of their lives trying to curry the favor of people they don't even like. Don't be one of those people. Provided you're not breaking the law -- a stable, lawful society being what makes it possible for us to not have to care what individual people think of us -- go for it.