Develop A Thick Skin
We often go through our days hearing all kinds of opinions, about ourselves and about others. We don’t always realise it, but we do get influenced by them. If we hear gossip about someone’s behavioural trait, we instinctively try to avoid exhibiting the same trait, just to conform within the group. We cannot survive in isolation. We hear countless comments about ourselves, some said in jest, others meant as subtle jabs or outright bullying. These remarks can give us sleepless nights and often alter our personality for the worse.
But what if you are disliked for who you are? What if you are bullied not for what you do, but for the personality you carry? In such moments, you either conform or you fight the world. Yet, fighting everyone who throws stones at you is not only exhausting but also impractical. The alternative is to wear stronger armour so the stones no longer wound you.
When your personality directly contrasts with the environment around you, you will inevitably be targeted until you conform to their version of normalcy. The danger with bullying is that even if you learn to handle the bullies, you still risk losing the person you once were before their torment made life unbearable. That is why the most important skill is not only to grow a spine and take a stand, but also to develop thick skin, your personal armour against the stones. You cannot afford to be affected by every comment, whether cruel, careless, or even well-meaning advice.
Fighting the world may sound noble. It paints you as a warrior. But these battles never end, and endless battles yield no victories. Without resolution, the fight drags on until the warrior is worn down. The opposite approach is to let nothing touch you, to shrug off every insult as inconsequential. If you have a sense of tact, you can meet insults with wit or humour; if not, plain indifference works just as well.
Rejection, in fact, is one of the most vital skills a person can learn. In the modern world, it is the equivalent of survival skills. If you can endure all this turmoil without losing your true personality, you have achieved something remarkable. Preserving your inner, curious self is far more important than responding to those who insist there is a flaw in you.
You don’t have to prove them wrong, neither with words nor with battles. The best fights are the ones you never enter. Instead, build your thick skin, your mental armour, and let it shield you from the incompetence of others.