Getting over FOOPO

FOOPO: The Fear Of Other People’s Opinion’s. For a long time I thought I was the only person who suffered from FOOPO but, actually, you know, most of us do. And it’s a very terrible affliction when it stops us doing good stuff. So here are some ideas that helped me get over my FOOPO, and maybe they will help you too!

1. Remember this quote

FOOPO is actually a bit pointless because most people don’t notice or care what we are doing.

2.Decide whose opinions matter

And if someone does notice us, and offers up an un-nice opinion, does their opinion even matter?

3. Only WE know what WE know

And if someone does notice, and offers up an un-nice opinion, and it’s someone whose opinion matters to us, do they know everything that we know?

When we decide to DO SOMETHING we’ve given it thought, we’ve researched, we’ve questioned, we’ve listened, we’ve come to this view because of our experience. The “Opinion’s’ experience is not as deep and well rounded as ours. So sometimes the ‘opinion” is well-intended but actually unhelpful because the person giving it doesn’t understand.

4. Are they just having a bad day?!

And if someone does notice, and offers up an un-nice opinion, and it’s someone whose opinion matters to us, and they know lots, maybe they are just having a bad day?

5. Sometimes other people’s opinions, though hard to swallow, are actually useful

And if someone does notice, and they offer up an un-nice opinion, and it’s someone whose opinion matters to us, and they seem to know a lot about the situation, and they are having a good day. Then their un-nice opinion might actually be useful.

Ugh.

But it’s better to know that something we’re doing is not quite right, so we can make it right, than to bang our head against a brick wall. Yes?

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