Why You Should Care What People Think of You

It seems like more often, and especially within the realm of social media and video marketing, that we’re taught and encouraged to operate with authenticity. Your mom always told you when you were growing up that you shouldn’t care what other people think of you because you’re so special. Its certainly true! You are special! But I find that personally, an attitude of “I don’t care what other people think of me,” lends itself to an attitude of entitlement. What I mean is, sometimes we use this for an excuse to do whatever we want.

There’s some give and take here, and I want to revisit why you SHOULD care what other people think of you. While I am a firm proponent for being authentic and true to your audience, I think there’s a fine balance when you consider social norms. You may not play by the norms or rules, but everyone else is playing. Whether you want to play or not, the game is still being played with or without you. Think of it in terms of an interview. Its not up to you if you get the job, its up to the person across the table – and thats why it matters.

First Impressions

You’ve certainly heard it before and this factor is multiplied on social media platforms. Someone might find you through a common friend and conversation thread, or through your own content. This person knows NOTHING about you except the snippet they’re exposed to. It goes without saying its make or break from the beginning.

Positive or Negative?

People’s first impressions of you are often framed as positive or negative. Are you ever really on the fence with somebody? Seems to me like you know right away whether you like the person or don’t. Lets face it if you don’t like them, you’re already skewing towards disliking them. Additionally, the people you run into might be talking about you long after you leave. People often remember how the interaction made them feel rather than the specifics of what they liked or didn’t like.

Personal Branding

The reason companies do branding is so that customers can easily identify who a company is and what they’re all about. The same is true for your personal brand. After having a five minute conversation with you, people have to know what you’re all about. They’ve already got an impression of you, and they’re going to talk about you for one of two reasons. You impacted their experience in a positive, or a negative manner. You’re not going to be there to save face if they’re talking bad about you or took things the wrong way. You’ve got to be on your best behavior at all times! How will the message translate “correctly” when you’re not there? – Because you’ve been authentic (ah yes, the other piece of the puzzle!)

Accountability

Being respectful of how other people view you adds an extra layer to your own social accountability. When you spend some time considering other people’s perception of you, you have to wonder what they expect from you. What I mean is, do they consider you a hard worker, a procrastinator, passionate, jealous, hot-headed, or lazy? The way people view you shapes their expectations of you and when you operate outside of that, people will hold you accountable. Without having your friends around you can hold yourself accountable for the standards you know they would hold you to.

Originally when I started writing this post I wanted it to be slanted to one side on “Why you should care what other people think of you,” but as I worked through it it became very clear to me that what I’d written was only true in a certain sense.

I’ve arrived at a conclusion far different than I expected, and understand that if we always cared what people thought of us, that we would rarely encounter those experiences that allow us to learn and grow. That being said, I think finding a keen balance between these diametric opposites is the ultimate goal in building a personal brand. Authenticity breeds a devoted following, but a healthy dose of tact can grow it even further.

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