Since time immemorial, humans have sought to gain the approval of others, thinking that it would grant them social acceptance and psychological stability.
However, this attempt, no matter how much effort is put into it, remains an impossible goal.
Pleasing everyone is a stroke of illusion, because their support for you is often conditional on how much your opinions match theirs, not on your truth or essence.
Someone who supports you today may do so because they see you as still aligned with their ideas and values, but what if the opposite happens? What if you express a different opinion or disagree with their convictions on a certain matter? Then the truth will be revealed, and some will turn from supporters into attackers, and their ideological tendencies and fanaticism—which were not clear before—will emerge.
You will realize that many of those who were applauding you did not see you as an independent individual, but as another version of themselves, and as soon as you differ from them, you become an opponent in their eyes.
Independence of opinion is more important than the approval of others; you are not obliged to walk according to everyone's desires or take their feelings into account at the expense of your convictions.
People are naturally fickle, and it is a mistake to make their acceptance of you a criterion for evaluating your self-worth.
Instead, your true criterion should be your consistency with your values and principles, even if this causes dissatisfaction for some.
Do not fear anger; it is a revealing moment. When you disagree with others, you may find them attacking you fiercely, not necessarily because your opinion is wrong, but because you broke an ideal image they had drawn of you.
Do not take their anger personally; rather, look at it as a test to reveal their truth.
For whoever truly respects you will respect your difference, but whoever makes your agreement with them a condition for your relationship was never truly with you in the first place.
Be yourself and do not fear isolation; do not make people's approval your goal, but rather make honesty with yourself and your principles the foundation.
Some relationships will change, and some people will move away, but you will gain the most important thing: peace of mind and the ability to express yourself freely without fear of the fluctuations of others.
Conclusion:
Striving to please others is a dead end that leads to loss of self and fragmentation of identity.
Intellectual independence and adherence to personal principles are the true paths to inner peace and psychological liberation.
When you stop making the approval of others a major goal, you discover your true value and release your creative energy.
Always remember that whoever respects you for yourself and values your difference is a true friend, but whoever asks you to abandon your principles to please them does not deserve your time or attention.