The good portion of our work here is reading, explorations, research, studying, and investigation. That translates in an immense amount of materials we go through on daily bases.
While some pieces are fairly good (some even extraordinary), the most of it is just bullshit.
And one of those ultimate bullshit advice you’re getting frequently is this:
Don’t care about what other people think of you if you want to live free.
Now, in terms of a good old bullshit, this shit almost reigns supreme. Whoever thought of this, shouldn’t be allowed to advise people.
Namely because…
Personal impressions are rooted in our primitive parts of the brain and define us as the species
As such they cannot be ignored or overlooked.
The first impression takes less than 2 seconds and it will decide the future relationship with the person you’ve met.
Now if your plan is to go far away and live on the mountain or in a jungle, that’s fine. Wolves, jaguars, and cougars just don’t give a fuck how you look as long as you’re an easy kill.
But if you are eager to stay in a city; then think twice before you decide to don’t give a tiny rat’s ass about what people think about you.
Because all of those who’re preaching this bullshit are constantly forgetting about two critical elements of modern living:
- The absolute need for social contacts, and
- Money
Communication cues make you a human being.
Social contacts, including the most important physical ones, are life important elements. Without it, you will start losing the sense of reality, retreat, and fall in a state of serious depression.
This need is rooted in our limbic (primitive) part of the brain and corresponds to our nature as social species. You simply cannot live without another human being for an extended period of time, under your free will and stay sane. It’s just the way things are.
So if you don’t care how you appear to others, that means that you’ll start neglecting yourself in several segments including, but not limited to:
- Communication skills
- Overall fitness and appearance (wardrobe included), and
- Advanced features like extended knowledge and high Emotional and Intelligence Q’s.
In many cases, this shit leads even to poor hygiene and health deterioration.
The latter is caused by the chemical imbalance due to the lack of normal (quality) and predominantly important social contacts which lead you into the state of acute (even chronic) depression and anxiety.
Because personal impressions decide the social level
Who’s alpha? Is she hot? Does he deserve 1 minute of my time? Is he the marriage material? Should I employ him? Should I give him the raise? Is he worth my effort and time? Should I have sex with him? Will he satisfy all of my needs? How wealthy he truly is? How secure can I feel with him? Will he protect me? Is he willing to lay his life for me?
If you don’t want any money and don’t like to have sex anymore, please, be my guest, say “fuck Y’all”, neglect yourself to the max and live alone. Let them call you “that crazy old snake man.”
However, if you don’t find this scenario appealing, you might want to reconsider your standpoint and start giving shit about how others perceive you.
Walk tall and make an impression wherever you go.
Talk slowly and think before every sentence.
Think about ‘why’ that particular question in that place in that specific moment every time you’re about to answer it.
Make no mistakes here…
This species — and you among 7.4 billion other members of it — thrives just because we must give a fuck how we appear to others.
It is the base — the core — of our collaborative nature.
Because if it wasn’t for that, the humankind would never group up and chances are that you wouldn’t even exist today.
Serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, oxytocin, and cortisol are the primary 5 chemicals; each with a specific task in terms of your survival and thriving while each depends on close and quality social contact.
It does matter what others think about you because it does matter how comfortable and safe you feel inside your closest social environment.
If you’re isolated, you don’t feel safe and safety is the primer of our survival. Ergo, you’re fucked!
But don’t take our word for it.
Take it away, Athene
