you really should care what other people think about you.

let’s stop the whole fake, “nonchalant” gimmick, please.

Apr 27, 2025

Yes, it’s an unpopular opinion, and the “standard” is that you should “never care what anybody says or thinks about you” and all that, bla bla bla.

Well, I kind of disagree.

So I was driving back home one evening when I had a thought; hear me out.

Luxury brands are some of the most strategic businesses in the world.

Brands like Gucci, Fendi, and the rest of them.

They don’t just sell quality products; they sell value and sell stories.

So my thought was:

What if brands like Louis Vuitton or Rolex decide to secretly produce both the “original” and the “replica” versions of their products?

For example, Rolex produces two versions of the same watch.

One with their standard quality, and the other with slightly less quality.

Then they sell the original in their big, flashy stores for $5,000 and sell the replica for $500 in the smaller, “second-hand” markets.

That would make a lot of sense business-wise, right?

They get to dominate both markets.
Both the market for the prestigious elites that want luxury stuff.
And
The market for mass audiences that also want to feel “among” but can’t quite afford the costs.

On paper, it’s genius, if you ask me.

However, the biggest problem with a strategy like this is that:

Perception is everything in life.

The moment people begin to doubt the exclusivity of Rolex watches, the moment the perception of “prestige” attached to the Rolex brand breaks down…

Then it’s over for their business.

Their high elite clients will abandon the brand and patronise another that makes them feel “special”.

Branding experts know that building a profitable business goes way beyond the product they’re selling.

It’s positioning.

It’s how the brand presents itself.

It’s how it makes you feel.

It’s the story it tells, the standards it upholds, and the way it guards its image.

That’s why Balenciaga can put together an “average” quality collection of shoes, sell it for hundreds of dollars, and make millions from it.

They don’t even have to spend a lot of money on production.

Because of the brand and the perception attached to it, they can spend $100 producing a shoe and sell it for $1500.

We see it happen all the time today, and personally, I find capitalism very interesting.

All of this is simple Marketing and Branding 101, and the point I want to make is that you, as a person, are also a brand.

Which means the way people perceive you will determine how they treat you.

Whether they treat you with respect or disdain, loyalty or disregard, love or fear, etc.

You’ve heard people say that “how you dress is how you’ll be addressed” and it’s very true.

Somewhere along the line, we’ve adopted the “I don’t care” identity to extreme lengths, and it’s done us more harm than good.

We now act like detachment from the perception, care, and opinion of others is the ultimate sign of confidence and self-assuredness.

It’s absolutely not.

It’s even funnier because, deep down, we all care about how others perceive us.

We always have and we probably always will

We’re wired that way.

Even when you publicly declare to everybody that “you do not care” or you’re in your “unbothered era”, you’re only doing so because you want others to view you that way.

I laugh when I come across a tweet or post that goes something like “I’m in my unbothered era and I don’t care what anybody says, I’m just doing me and finding my peace.”

Okay, so why are you telling us then?

If you truly don’t care, then you wouldn’t be telling the whole world, you would just live it.

Exaggerated nonchalance is just you trying to kill a part of your human nature that cannot be killed.

We all care about how we’re seen, how we’re spoken about, and how we’re treated.

That’s not vanity or low self-esteem, that’s just simply being human.

The way people perceive you determines how they treat you.

And this is important because we are social beings.

We don’t exist in isolation.

Which means that at one time or the other, in one way or another, we will all need someone or the help of someone.

The point of this post is not to say that you should let the opinions of others influence your actions or the way you perceive yourself, I’m saying you should definitely care what other people think about you.

Or at the very least, care about the way you’re perceived by others.

It’s more important than we like to admit.

Fortunately for you, the power is in your hands because the way others see you is often a reflection of what you project to then.

And what you project is simply shaped by the way you see yourself.

Which means if you view and present yourself in a certain manner, more often than not, people will view and treat you in the same manner.

And that makes perfect sense.

If you don’t value your own presence, why should anyone else?

If you constantly downplay your gifts, why should anybody else highlight them?

If you walk around sloppy and bitter and careless, don’t be shocked when people walk past you like you don’t matter.

I’m not encouraging you to be fake or insisting you must be perfect, no.

I’m just saying, you need to be more deliberate in how you present yourself to the world for interpretation.

You must understand that you are a message, and people are always reading.

The world is always interpreting you and treating you based on that interpretation.

Obviously, it’s going to be a shitty practice if you decide to conform to every trend or twist yourself based on every opinion you receive.

What you simply need to do is to present yourself, mentally, emotionally, and physically, in a way that reflects the value you carry, every single time.

How? Easy:

• Show up sharp to everywhere.
• Speak with kindness and confidence.
• Invest in your look.
• Learn how to carry yourself.
• Protect your name and guard your reputation.
• Think long-term in the decisions you make.

Because whether it’s a job, a relationship, or a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: how you are perceived will always influence how you’re treated.

Would you take a pastor that visits the strip club regularly seriously?

Would you invest your money into a business that has gone bankrupt multiple times?

Would you date a guy that has also dated and broken the hearts of five of your friends?

I’m guessing, no.

The perception you have of them probably doesn’t align with how they want to be perceived, but their actions have done the speaking already.

So, you should care what people think about you, especially in terms of what you’re giving them to work with.

People will always misunderstand you; that’s inevitable.

They will often think about you in a wrong manner.

But just because you think a crocodile is an alligator doesn’t make it one.

It’s always been a crocodile.

And as long as it stays true to its nature, it can survive being mistaken now and then.

Being misunderstood doesn’t change what it really is.

The same goes for you.

Give the world your true authentic self, and although they’ll say and think whatever they want, what is real always remains real.

you really should care what other people think about you.

let’s stop the whole fake, “nonchalant” gimmick, please.

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