It’s not necessarily a good idea to let yourself be too affected by what others think about you. Many of those that stress over how others view them find themselves struggling with their self-esteem and self-worth, and letting that view affect their behaviors.
But that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to completely ignore how others view you. In fact, it is important to be aware how you come across to others.
Reviewing Your Own Image
People often have this particular image of themselves. Then they meet someone that views them in a different way, and when they hear that differing opinion, they become defensive or upset. “Why would they view me that way when I am this other way?” you may think to yourself.
It’s useful to realize that how you think about yourself is unique to you – it is not necessarily how you are presented to the world. And while how you’re presented to the world doesn’t necessarily reflect on your character, there is value in gaining an open understanding of what others see. It can help you with:
- Curbing Frustration – Feeling like others aren’t “recognizing” who you are can be very frustrating. But knowing what others see can help you understand more about yourself, and why people react to you as they do.
- Learning More About Yourself – How others see you IS a part of you. It does help to know what people see in an effort to know more about yourself, and to open yourself up to feedback and constructive changes.
It also helps you with enhancing parts of your life, such as learning how you can improve your relationships or discovering new ways to interact with others and address the issues in your life that you want to fix most. Often I like the idea of using group therapy for this as well, as this gives your peers a chance to watch your interactions in a safe, judgment free environment.
Your Interactions Help You Learn
You shouldn’t let the views of others hurt how you feel about yourself. But it does help to be open to the idea that the way you view yourself is not actually how you are – or at the very least, not how you are seen – by those around you. If you’d like to explore more about yourself, please call me today.
