Why Caring What Others Think Breeds Mental Illness

We can surround ourselves with an opulence of material goods, we can attain the contemporary social-ideal of beauty and style, our peers can admire us, but if the inner self is neglected, misery and suffering will haunt our days.

• We should step off the path of conformity – as to conform means to seek social validation through the idea of external success.
• We should re-orient our life so as to bring more order, harmony, and strength to our mind. We must in other words, live a more authentic life, a life that heeds the call of our inner man.

• Ridicule and rejection will teach us: that the world does not end when someone shames us, and no harm really comes to us when others disapprove of our ways so long as we are comfortable and are virtuous with the actions we take.
• With time, insults and negative judgements by other people will become mere empty words that may pass through our ears but do not disturb our mind.

We will no longer feel compelled to live by reference to others and if we are then willing to listen to the call of our inner man or woman, a greater life will open before us.