"Five minutes each week that might change your life."

I have to admit something.

It’s impossible to not care what people think.

I know—this coming from the guy who literally wrote the book on not giving a—. But hear me out, because this is important.

Everyone wants to not care what other people think. We all want to be unbothered, moisturized, and in our lanes. Thriving. Blocking out the haters.

But caring about what other people think is actually normal and good.

Yeah, it sucks when people have negative opinions about you.

But caring what other people think is also why you stop and help when someone’s hurt. It's why you feel awful when your friend is in pain, or your mom gets sick, or a kid’s in danger.

If you truly didn’t care what anyone thought or felt… you’d be a psychopath.

Caring is the engine behind empathy, compassion, friendship—every meaningful relationship we have.

So the question isn’t:

“How do I stop caring what people think?"

It’s:

“Who do I care what they think, and why?”

Instead of trying not to care, your goal should be to care smarter—to be intentional about who you seek validation from.

Don’t waste your energy trying to win over petty, selfish people. Instead, find better people.

And if you really want to stop giving a—, find something more important than approval.

Ask yourself:

What’s worth being ridiculed for in your life?

Because your answer to that question matters more than anyone’s opinion ever will.

See you Monday,
Mark

P.S. Being willing to get ridiculed for something you believe in—that takes confidence. But not the kind you talk yourself into. In the latest Solved episode, Drew and I get into why most confidence advice tends to backfire, where it came from, and why the real thing needs a different approach. We trace it all the way back to an insecure preacher, a snake-filled lab, and a 2,000-year-old idea that names what you've actually been chasing this whole time—and it isn't confidence.

​Listen to Confidence, Solved →​