I used to never feel good about other people's opinions. It may seem obvious that we might not feel good about them if we disagree with them but why did it mean that it had to be a negative experience when there wasn't 100% agreement.
From feedback at work to slight comments from friends, I never felt good about people expressing their opinions to me. I often had disagreements in my head about them and found I spent a lot of my time obsessing about them. And that wasn't useful to anyone.
Is it even possible to feel positive about other people's opinions when we don't agree? And the answer is Yes! We can actually feel good about ourselves and the other person when we have differing viewpoints.
The problem arises from a common falsehood we are taught in our society. We are taught not to care about other people's opinions and compounds the "negative" experience when we hear something we don't like.
The advice not to care about other people's opinions backfires because of the simple fact that humans are meant to care about what others think. So, then, how do we handle other people's opinions. What's the strategy?
I discuss a mental framework that I use that has helped me obsess less and also feel good about other people's opinions. Enjoy!
I’m T. Vyas, you can call me T because most people do. I’m, as you’ve guessed, a person of colour who looks forward to chatting with you about some things identity, some things colour and ALL things Love! Tune in Tuesdays for a new episode! In the meantime, you can find me on Instagram @bareinmind.podcast
Website: bareinmindpodcast.com