Thinking Out Loud, Volulme CCCLXXVI

If I've heard it once, I've heard it said a thousand times..."I don't care one iota what other people think about me." Really? Okay then, consider this: Let's say that through your years of marriage, you have never even considered being unfaithful to your husband, yet for some reason, some false information has gotten around, and people's opinions of you suggest otherwise. Are you saying that, since you don't care what people think about you, that wouldn't bother you? Suppose you have always paid your bills in a timely manner, but the word on the street is you're a terrible credit risk. Are you saying that you wouldn't be upset by those allegations? It seems to me that, since I didn't care what people think about me, if I heard there were some rumors about me going around, I wouldn't even care to hear what's being said. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you've heard me talk about the difference between reputation and character, and how our reputation is what others think we are, and our character is what we actually are. In those articles, I stressed the fact that good character is more valuable than a good reputation, and while I continue to stand by that statement, I want to spend time today explaining why I think a good reputation is vital for a successful life. If you and I are having a conversation where we're expressing our opinions, would my opinions mean anything to you, or would you just let them go in one ear and out the other? I think that would depend on your opinion of me. If you thought of me as a windbag who spews out words simply for the joy of hearing myself speak, more than likely, you really wouldn't care to hear what I had to say. On the other hand, if you've known me to use sound judgment in the past, you would find me more interesting. If I want my words to carry weight, I need a good reputation. Would you feel safe in a car I'm driving? Would you trust me around your kids? Would you loan me fifty bucks? I think it would all depend on what you think about me. Sometimes I wish I could view myself through your eyes, but that's because I care about your opinion of me. Perhaps if I don't care what others think of me, it could indicate that I'm a selfish person...someone who feels that it's all about me. If I want to help others, I need others to trust me...and that means I need to have a good reputation. Let me just get down to what I really believe. Sometimes we may carelessly make the statement that we don't give a rip what others think, but if we'll stop and give it some thought, we'll find that we all care. Knowing that makes me feel better. Preston