» My Reaction To Others’ Reactions

My Reaction To Others’ Reactions

Well, Deseret News published a story about me today. You can check it out by going here: http://tinyurl.com/ygh2h9k. That’s the first press attention that I’ve gotten, and I anticipate getting more press as I continue on my journey. However, I thought it was very interesting to read some of the comments and reactions to my trip.

Most of all, I was surprised by the negative comments that were posted. I’m not sure why, but I never really expected those types of reactions. I mean, it makes complete sense to me that some people would look down on my trip and my idea to do it. I guess I just realized today that I’m going to have some people who really don’t like what I’m doing. Just like the comments, people might think that I’m a spoiled brat who is hard to please. People might think that I’m a mooch just living off of others’ kindness and generosity. There will also be those who think I have this feeling of self-entitlement, and that I should be grateful for what I have.

I guess it’s good for me to realize right now that I’m going to have some negative feedback. I’ve actually struggled in my life always being open about my goals and plans, because I never want to sound over-ambitious. I know sometimes when people have huge goals, that others like to tear them down so they feel justified in their own mediocrity. So, I a lot of times am not open with my ideas because I don’t want to open them up to the criticism and negativity of others.

This trip will help me out, because I’m being extremely open with everything I do. There will be naysayers and critics for what I’m trying to accomplish, no matter what I do. I need to get used to that and not back down from what it is I really want out of life.

I think what really bothers me about negative reactions isn’t the fact that people disagree with me. I just don’t like the feeling of being misunderstood. It was the same as a missionary. My biggest pet peave was ignorance. a lot of people were ignorantly opposed to something they knew nothing about. That’s the same way I feel about any negativity people have toward me and this trip. About the article, people were making these assumptions about the type of person I am, based upon my actions reported. In reality, they have no idea what type of person I really am, and so they are ignorantly opposed to what I’m trying to accomplish.

Well, it’s a good reminder to me to never be quick to judge others’ intentions or actions. The great thing about going through this trip is that it’s going to teach me a lot about people. Some people are going to love what I’m doing and are going to support me wholeheartedly. Others are not going to like it, but, you can’t make everyone happy. That’s why you gotta just not care and do what you feel is the right thing for you.

Tags: critics, feedback, goals, media, mediocrity, negativity, perceptions, positivity, press, reactions

Thoughts on Life | Aaron Anderson | December 18, 2009 11:44 pm

5 Comments

By Candace, December 19, 2009 @ 9:07 am

I agree that one of the worst feelings is being misunderstood.
By A.J. WIlcox, December 19, 2009 @ 9:26 am

I was also pretty surprised at the reactions from the article in DN. They made some good points, but why is tact never practiced in commenting? Ignorance is definitely the main ingredient there. Maybe the journalist could have done better to explain the purpose and background? Maybe people should have read the whole piece? Whatever. Aaron, I hope you have tons of fun. At the very least, you’ll be telling stories about this for the rest of your life.
By JD, December 19, 2009 @ 3:00 pm

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” – Albert Einstien
By Brook, December 19, 2009 @ 6:39 pm

Hey Aaron, just read the news article about you. Congratulations on a course of action few people have the guts to take! You will never regret the decision and it will probably turn out to be one of the best periods of your life. Breaking the cookie-cutter mold of living that society builds for us is difficult, but necessary in living a non-fraudulent life.

Don’t listen to the naysayers, ESPECIALLY the anonymous internet trolls—what they write online isn’t necessarily what they really think, and might be there to create a little drama and excitement that their lives lack. In other words, don’t take any of it personally! Besides, why should you care about opinions that don’t matter from people you don’t you.

We’re the same in that I get so easily bored and thrive on change. Good luck and keep living the way that’s best for you!
By Emily, December 19, 2009 @ 9:23 pm

I’m just surprised that many people have enough time on their hands to type out a comment trying to put you down. Now you know what to expect. Better to be over-prepared than under-prepared I always say!

I commented on Stephen’s status about your article that back in high school I never would have thought you’d be doing something so extreme. Good luck!