I have always been a firm believer in the saying "Treat others how you want to be treated." I have always had the mindset that if you are kind to someone, they will be kind in return. However, this is definitely not always the case. In life, you will not always be everyone's "cup of tea." Of course there will be certain people that you dislike and vice versa. Although disliking someone is obviously not a positive thing, there are some positive lessons that can come from these situations.
1. It encourages you to better yourself.
When someone doesn't necessarily seem to like you, it can remind you of all the negative qualities and flaws that you have. No one wants to be reminded of these. Being reminded of all the little insecurities of yourself won't make you feel good. But, when you seem to notice these things about yourself, it can encourage you to improve them and overcome them.
2. It makes you appreciate the good people in your life.
For some people, like myself if someone doesn't like me, I let it consume my thoughts. "What did I do to them?" "Why don't they like me?" "Should I apologize?" No. I shouldn't question whether someone dislikes me and neither should you. Letting the people that don't like you get the best of you is exactly what they want. So don't let them have that satisfaction. Brush it off, act like nothing happened, ignore the comments they make even if its hard. Appreciate all the genuine friends that you have. You know that you are surrounded by people that would do anything to see you succeed and be happy, so why should we dwell on the ones that don't?
3. It brings you back to reality.
Life isn't a fairytale. Sadly, the reality is that people are going to hurt your feelings. While it can make you feel really bad, it's life and something we will always have to deal with. It reminds us that no one is perfect, including ourselves and we can't please everyone we meet, no matter how bad we want to.
4. They don't define you.
Like I said, people can and will say hurtful things, especially if you're "too nice" or don't stick up for yourself. They're going to attempt to belittle you, but that doesn't change who you are. You will be the same person that you were before or after someone says hurtful things. You should always remember your worth.
5. It tests your character.
If someone doesn't like you, it doesn't necessarily make them an evil person, but how you react to this person can speak volumes about your character. Will you stoop to their level? Will you ignore it? Will they make you feel so bad that you won't want to leave bed for the rest of the day? No matter how you choose to deal with them, try to be the bigger person. I know it's hard, but for the sake of yourself just try.
In a perfect world we would not have enemies, but unfortunately we don't live in a perfect world. We know that having people that dislike us is not our ideal situation, but we can learn positive lessons from them. Focus on the good people in your life and how they make you feel better about yourself.
"If you don't have enemies, you don't have character. - Paul Newman"
