It is well known that as we become older we also become wiser. But, as ages go by, we are also less and less concerned about other people’s opinions and we don’t care so much whether they will be impressed by us or not.
When we are young, we want everyone to like us. Although we know that is not possible, we crave attention desperately.
Some people don’t want to be defined by their age, so they don’t share how old they are with others. These people neglect the positive sides of growing old and only focus on the negative. As you grow older you become able to do many things, like driving, buying alcohol, bringing more mature decisions, being financially independent. But the truth is that you can’t do everything you love.
What doesn’t change?
There is one thing that never changes. Regardless of how old you are, you will always search for joy, happiness, love, and comfort. When people become older they start to compare more their life with other people. Also, as we grow older, we tend to lose the ability to enjoy our own life.
Why does this happen?
Because it seems like we are dependent on other people’s expectations. Our mood and overall happiness in life depend on how others treat us.
The core desire to be liked by others
Everyone has an internal desire to be accepted and liked by others, and even to feel special in some way. That is why when we don’t succeed to impress others, we feel worthless, inadequate, and embarrassed. Impressing others is not a bad thing, but being in constant competition with others is not good for us.
For example, when meeting someone for the first time, we try everything to win their heart. So, we think that we must be better than all the people that person has met in their life. We want to win other people’s attention and that desire motivates us to find a better job, to get a more beautiful house, to find a perfect partner, etc. There is a problem in wanting the best for yourself because there will always be something better that will appear soon or later. This is a never-ending cycle of striving to achieve a better social status.
How to stop depending on others
When you bring important choices in life, don’t consider what will others think about you. Don’t do something just to impress them. Take some time to analyze yourself, your own values, beliefs, motives, and interests. Take a closer look at yourself and you will discover what truly makes you satisfied and fulfilled in life. You will find the way to happiness.
We offer you six practical tips on how to stop trying to impress other people:
- If you have a group of friends, try sometimes to take the lead in a new direction, or in a new way.
- Try something that you’ve never done before.
- Be the first person that starts conversations, and be positive with everyone.
- If something is not worthy to be praised then don’t do that. Complimenting everything will show others that you don’t respect your own opinion and attitude.
- Talk more about things that inspire rather than gossiping about culture or people.
- If your friends are people who seek attention and try everything to impress others, then you should find new friends.
Breaking from the chains of impressing others will liberate you and give you the freedom to be who you want to be and do the things that truly make you happy.
