Many people have a deep-seeded need to be liked. They care what society thinks of them, try hard to fit in, fear judgment, and avoid standing out in the crowd, when actually, those things do you no good. Without further ado, here are seven reasons why you should stop caring about what others think of you.

1. You can enjoy your life to its fullest.

Here's a fact: Worrying about what others think of you is pointless - it's a waste of time and energy. No matter what you do, people will still judge you.

To be happy, you have to embrace your true self. When you're no longer afraid to be judged, you'll feel that weight lifted off your shoulders. Plus, you'll be more willing to take risks. After all, improvement can only occur if you go out of your comfort zone.

Be in full control of your life. Don't let anyone hold you back from living life to its fullest. Why should you let others control your actions, anyway? It's your life, not theirs.

2. Not caring too much about what others think is a key trait of successful people.

Although the definition of success is different for different people, everyone wants to be successful. But, not everyone feels successful. Why? One of the reasons may be because they hold back from pursuing their dreams, for fear of judgment. However, successful people recognize that those are just distractions. So to accomplish their goals, they only focus on the things that need to be done.

3. You don't need to please everyone.

As American coach John Wooden puts it, “Worry about your character and not your reputation, because your character is who you are, and your reputation is only what people think of you".

At some point in our lives, we've been guilty of doing things that we don’t actually want to; afraid of not meeting society's expectations, of not being liked. Don't be a people pleaser. As psychologist Harriet Braiker says, "to please is a disease".

Free yourself from those obligations you don't actually want to do in the first place. That way, you can have more time to do something more meaningful and fulfilling!

4. People will miss out on your uniqueness.

When you fear judgment, you try to be dreadfully normal, to fit in. This is emotionally draining because it's not who you really are deep down. Besides, people will know and understand you less as an individual.

As Tyra Banks put it, "Never dull your shine for somebody else”.

5. You'll feel much more relaxed.

Do you look good enough? Do you act cool enough?

Freedom and that sense of relief come when you stop caring about what others think of you. Focus on being comfortable in your own skin. Realize that you can't control what others think of you. What you can control is what you think of yourself.

People either like you, or they don't, and hey, that's okay. You want to surround yourself with people who lift you up, make you feel good about yourself, and not bring you down.

6. You don't depend on others for your happiness.

You'll never be happy if you constantly worry about what others think. Don't try to change yourself to meet other people's expectations.

If you aren't satisfied with your current self, go ahead and improve, but only do so because you yourself want to and not because of other people's feelings. It's your happiness, after all.

7. You learn to form and follow your own values.

People are entitled to think what they want, and so are you. As Bertrand Russell wrote, “Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric”. Trust yourself, honor your values, and do what makes you happy!