Why so much hate?
The people who love you smile and say nothing; those who hate you leave YouTube comments.
Sometimes I wonder why the people who love us don’t take the time to say it more often? But really, it’s easy to understand - they’ve got better things to do. It takes a lot of energy and time to say something, to participate, to interact. And for what? Just so the trolls come along to attack them too?
The problem is that for entrepreneurs, this asymmetrical situation can be really bizarre. As an entrepreneur, people coming along and criticizing you really hurts. We feel illegitimate, like we’re completely naked and vulnerable. I’ve seen it so often at The Family, it’s the moment where it’s so hard to take a breath and move on. It’s true that hate summons hate, it’s been like that since the beginning of time.
But you have to take that breath, to step back and protect your ego. You can’t do things because you’re looking for recognition or love. You can only do them because they make sense to you, and whatever people say about it isn’t that important. It takes time to build up that kind of discipline.
I know - when I was 20, I wanted the whole world to love me. But then… well, you know the rest.
If there’s one thing I’ve realized, it’s that the haters are your promoters. It’s hard to believe, but they’re building up your story, they’re boosting your virality, they’re a part of making what you do real.
In the end, I know that people talk about me but that I’m not talking about them. Once you’re there with yourself, enjoying what you do every day, people who criticize you are just another part of your marketing.
So if you’re an entrepreneur, learn to ignore all the noise. And NEVER read the YouTube comments. After all, it’d be a real shame to spoil such a beautiful day...
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