It's the one who neither needs nor expresses any interest in their validation.
There's a reason quiet, unassuming people get lambasted all the time by their peers.
It's because they -- at least the ones who refuse to give in to social pressure -- can't be bought or swayed into becoming shallow blabbermouths like themselves.
Sure, many of these folks are cast in a negative light, with detractors going as far as to call them narcissists or sociopaths.
But they could cast such aspersions until the cows come home. These individuals will not crack under pressure, no matter how hard they're pricked and prodded.
The fact of the matter is that people loathe those who make them feel insecure. And the ones who make them feel that way couldn't care less about gaining their approval.
It doesn't make them selfish or self-absorbed, as these people have friends and loved ones whom they hold in high esteem. But those friends and loved ones accept them for who they are -- that's the difference!
You can respect and like a person without needing their validation.
If you have to defend your values and decisions just to earn someone's respect, then you're dealing with the wrong crowd.
The right people should accept you for who you are, even if they disagree with you on certain things.
For example, you might not side with your neighbor when it comes to his religious or political views, but that doesn't mean you still can't appreciate that he's a hard worker and good father.
Whether it's your career, hobbies, or love life, you have to do whatever makes you happy -- irrespective of whether others agree with you or not.
No one else has been through the same experiences you have. No one had been in precisely the same situations, at precisely the same time, around the same people.
Yours is a life that no one can duplicate, and there is no one else exactly like you in the world.
So why should we be defined by anything other than what we feel deep in our hearts?
Who cares if our opinion is in the minority? So what if others think we're wrong?
As long as you're guided by your gut -- and not by what others claim is the way to go -- you're living life on your terms.
The only individual whose validation you need is your own. You came into this world by yourself, and that's how you'll leave it.
We need no one's stamp of approval for the ideas we espouse and the choices we make.
Being your real self, without caring what others think, is truly empowering. It's like a huge load that comes off one's shoulders.
Make your life into what you want it to be, and don't let others stand in your way!
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