Good and bad, not to think about what others think about.  Bad if your child wants to hold your hand and you are oblivious.  Good if someone thinks your hair is too blue and you love your blue hair.


Good if you are a creative sort and your career, well-being, success, etc. is wrapped up in you being original in your creative production.  You can’t be original in production if you aren’t original in your thoughts.  Bad if you are aren’t paying any attention to the desires and intentions of your clients and so miss the boat in your creative endeavors again and again.


Good if you are focused on a goal you really want to achieve and you are able to ignore what the naysayers are thinking and saying about your efforts.  Bad if wise and trusted people are trying to tell you truth and you are escaping reality and not facing the truth.


Whenever someone says to me ‘I don’t care what anybody thinks’ I usually come away with the impression they are fighting VERY hard to not care but in fact they do.  Everyone does to some degree. What they really mean is ‘I don’t care what CERTAIN people think.’  


Thus, a key to maturity, wisdom and peace is knowing the difference between those whom you do care what they think and those whom you do not.  Find that out and admit it to yourself and you are on your way to being a true individual in the world.


Drawing, quote and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily