You Are Their Villain
Picture this. Sarah is talking bad about you to Jessica and now Jessica has these preconceived notions about you. Sarah painted you out to be this horrible person who is not trustworthy, is mean, and just an overall bad person for no reason. You are the villain in Sarah’s story, and although Jessica is only hearing that one side, whether it is true or not, she chooses to believe what she is told and based on this, has decided that she does not like you. She formed her opinion of you simply based on how you were depicted in Sarah’s story. She will never ask for your side, nor does she care because now she has a perception of you and decided that she does not like you.
Unfortunately, this happens quite often where you are the villain in someone else’s story and the person listening chooses to believe it. They now have this idea of you that they are comfortable with and anything that challenges that perception will not be allowed, even if the truth is right in front of their face. They do not want to believe that the picture painted of you by the other person is an outright lie. They are comfortable and have accepted this version of who they believe you are, and they want to hold on to that.
They may look at the person telling the story of you as one that is truthful, and so on, so when this other person paints this picture of you, they automatically believe it and for that reason alone, decide that they do not like you. I say, why even try to convince them otherwise? Let them believe whatever they choose to believe. Unfortunately, sometimes it is what it is, and some people just like to stew in their own false perceptions. For some people, it is easier and more accepting for them to believe a lie, than the truth.
It is a universal truth that no matter how kind or friendly you are, there will always be some people that do not like you or believe what others say about you even if they do not know you. They won’t even choose to get to know you themselves, and this is something that we must be ok with, because ultimately, we cannot please everyone. This allows us to develop emotional resilience and maintain our sense of self-worth in the face of indifference. It is a waste of time to try to change the mind of someone hell-bent on not liking you simply based on what someone else said. Instead, continue to live your life and keep being amazing regardless of what others think or say.
