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The useless external opinion
NOTICE ARCHIVE - 09/11/2021

Most people care too much about what other people think and that can even damage the psychological health. We all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own. 


In the modern World a great emphasis is placed on the attainment of social validation and on looking good in the eyes of others. That is creating a population of men and women who are stunted in their development. Social validation is derived primarily from one thing – success in the external world, or at least the appearance of it. Our job title, our material possessions, the size of our bank account, our physical looks and fashion choices, the status of the people we associate with, such are the things that bring the validation that so many crave.


This excessive orientation to the world of people, places and things is not a healthy way to live for:  “The man whose interests are all outside is never satisfied with what is necessary, but is perpetually hankering after something more and better which, true to his bias, he always seeks outside himself. He forgets completely that, for all his outward successes, he himself remains the same inwardly. . ..” (Carl Jung, Psychology and Religion)


We can surround ourselves with an opulence of material goods, we can attain the contemporary social-ideal of beauty and style, our peers can admire us, but if the inner man is neglected, misery and suffering will haunt our days, or as Jung explains:  “ The externalization of life turns to incurable suffering, because no one can understand why he should suffer from himself. . . That is the sickness of Western man. . .”


But if an excessive orientation to the external world and an accompanied neglect of our inner development is the sickness of the West, what is the cure?


We could step off the path of conformity – as to conform means to seek social validation through the ideal of external success – and we could re-orient our life so as to bring more order, harmony, and strength to our psyche. We must in other words, live a more authentic life, a life that heeds the call of our inner man. We should not defraud ourselves out of what is useful to us in order to make appearances conform to common opinion. If we care more about the real truth of our inner selves than about how we are known to the public we gain self-esteem, wisdom and happiness.


But to be one of the few who stops living by reference to others, necessitates a diminished fear of ridicule, rejection and the disapproval of others. Because the one who fears such things will remain a conformist and thereby still susceptible to the mental sickness. Ignoring the dictates of fashion and to be ashamed only of what is really shameful, to ignore men’s low opinion trigger the disdain of the simple people as much so their reactions and critics based on their stupidity and inferiority complex will serve as good training ignoring disdain.


The people who are quickest to judge and the most excessive with their insults, are those whose opinions matter least. They are not men and women of sound mind, but individuals consumed by inferiority complex who use criticism as a means to project their misery and self-hate onto others. The World does not end when someone shames us, No harm really comes to us when others disapprove of our ways so long as we are comfortable with the actions we take.


Insults and negative judgements by other people are mere empty words that may pass through our ears but do not disturb our mind. We will no longer feel compelled to live by reference to others. If we instead listen to the call of our inner voice, a greater life will open before us. Free of the fear ridicule, we will be free of the sickness of the mob and instead do it our own way. Followed by the mob or not, just ignore the mob.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4jzzDYLgro




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