" I used to think that the phrase ‘Don’t care what anyone thinks!’ was ridiculous, because if you only look to yourself, how will you grow? How will you know when you need to admit a mistake, or mend your attitude over something? Caring what the right people think, the people you respect and love and admire, is essential to properly maturing and learning. And I still absolutely think so.
But you know what? I’m starting to understand what ‘not caring what people think’ means. It means if you like wearing your hair up, you don’t start keeping it loose because someone said it looks matronly. It means if you dance to top 40’s pop hits, you don’t feel less cool because the boy you like listens to synth-rock indie bands you’ve never heard of. It means you keep being quiet, outgoing, serious, romantic, dreamy; you laugh loudly and often, or watch silent films, or wear dresses and heels to the grocery store, or only take baths, or not own a bikini, or post to Instagram as rarely or as often as you like. I don’t mean you never try new things or change your mind. But please, please don’t live your life with the end goal of making people go ‘I like what you’re doing.’ "
But you know what? I’m starting to understand what ‘not caring what people think’ means. It means if you like wearing your hair up, you don’t start keeping it loose because someone said it looks matronly. It means if you dance to top 40’s pop hits, you don’t feel less cool because the boy you like listens to synth-rock indie bands you’ve never heard of. It means you keep being quiet, outgoing, serious, romantic, dreamy; you laugh loudly and often, or watch silent films, or wear dresses and heels to the grocery store, or only take baths, or not own a bikini, or post to Instagram as rarely or as often as you like. I don’t mean you never try new things or change your mind. But please, please don’t live your life with the end goal of making people go ‘I like what you’re doing.’ "
