You Don't Like Me — And I Learned To Stop Caring About It
I know my own worth, and it has nothing to do with what you think of me.
Mariia Korneeva / Shutterstock By Emma Spear
You don’t like me.
I have no idea what I did to you in order for this to happen, but between the snarky remarks, subtle eye rolls, and nonchalant put-downs, it became easy to understand that you really don’t like me.
At first, it really bothered me because I didn’t understand.
What did I do to cause you to dislike me and treat me the way you do? I’m kind and friendly. Since I’ve known you, I’ve barely spoken a word to you.
Yet you still have the nerve to be a full-on b**** to me, and I don’t understand why.
You made me feel like a subordinate and tried to intimidate me.
I would vent to everyone about how angry you made me feel. You were so mean to me and it pissed me off. What did I do to deserve this negativity from you? I hardly know you!
After a while, though, it finally hit me. This has nothing to do with me and what I did — this is all about you, sweetie.
I finally understand that the way you treat me has nothing to do with anything that I did. In fact, this entire issue is about who you are as a person.
I’ve realized that you are a mean girl. And, quite frankly, you’re a b****. I have no issue admitting that because it’s 100 percent true.
You feel the need to pull this “mean girl” behavior like you’re still in high school, and I don’t understand.
What do you get by putting others down? Do you fall asleep peacefully at night because you made someone feel bad about themselves?
Please explain it to me because I would love to hear your answer to this.
If I ever acted the way you did, my behavior would absolutely disgust me. There is no reason for you to make anyone feel bad about themselves.
I’m not sure if it’s jealousy or what, but grow up already!
Being this type of person is not going to get you far in life. People might think it’s cute now, but down the line you’re going to miss out on opportunities and people because of your bad attitude.
I personally am not affected by your attitude towards me anymore. Your mean comments and behavior just roll off my back, and I ignore it. I’m sure you can’t stand that, but I couldn’t care less.
The truth is, though, I don’t need you in my life at all. I don’t need to prove myself to you.
I know my own worth, and it has nothing to do with what you think of me.
So actually, thank you for acting the way you do. Because you’ve honestly taught me that being kind is going to get me far in life.
Being mean and intimidating might be an advantage right now for you, but I’d much rather be viewed as dumb and kind, instead of smart and mean.
And that’s something I’ll take any day.
Emma Spear is a student, paraeducator, writer, and contributor to Unwritten. She has a passion for writing about mental health, self-care, and education. Visit her author profile for more.