We get so caught up in what people say about us, especially if we don't know them. But why?
I would be more concerned if a friend or family member spoke badly of me, which they should not. I will admit, I do get upset sometimes when that happens, and even with coworkers. I mean, I would not want the people who are in my life on a daily basis talking crap about me.
But what about those who are barely in your life, who talk smack about you? Should we care? Sometimes we do, which I will admit. I believe we should not give a crap about those who talk sh*t about us that are barely in our life.
I used to get upset about every little thing someone I barely knew said about me behind my back, or that I heard through a friend, or was even told to my face. It really did hurt. Someone in high school once called me a fat ass in my class when I barely spoke to her. She was known as a really mean girl, and when I spoke to her about something in my pottery class, she called me that thinking I would not hear it. Obviously, I did, and it still scared me; until I stopped giving a shit.
Another short story was when a friend of mine in school had told me someone told him that he should not be friends with me cause I was sad and depressed. And if those things are true, shouldn't my friend talk to me about it instead of the person that told him? Well, my friend luckily did speak to me, and he is one of my best guy friends still to this day. This is the perfect example of why you and even others should not listen to the crap others say about you unless it comes from the actual source, which is mostly yourself.
It still mind bottles me to this day though, on why I let people who mean so little to me make me feel worthless when they speak badly of me.
High school is one of the most difficult places I personally think this happens.
I guess for me personally, it bothers me because I would not want a bad reputation to start of me. Then have it go around and affect my work, social, and educational environment. The social aspect is a big one for me; I would not want a friend of mine to hear something bad of me or to even talk badly of me. But then I think, if a friend does this to you, is he/she a true friend? The obvious answer would be no.
So we can either get caught up and heated in the words people who barely mean anything to us say, or simply be the better person and let it slide. Sometimes, I do believe in sticking up for yourself; don't let anyone make a fool out of you. However, try not to let the sh*t that people say bring you down...
Don't forget, it's all bullshit.