Written by Peter Gao, Grade 10
”Go your own way and let others comment!”
This is a very popular sentence on the internet. It shows a spirit of not being disturbed by others, of doing whatever you want, and it makes people feel pretty cool after saying it. As this sentence explains, many people think that we need not care about what others say about us, and can just go our own way. In my opinion, as a member of society, we should care about what other people think.
The reason most people don’t want to care about other people’s comments is that the comments are often harsh. Yes, if a person always gives positive praise, who wouldn’t like to hear it? But the truth is, what sounds harsh can be useful for us. It’s like when I do my hair carefully, but a friend tells me, “Your hairstyle is awful!” Of course, I will get upset. But think about it. It is probably because that I haven’t checked the hair on the back of my head. If I choose to go to the bathroom and redo my hair, I reduce the chance of making a fool of myself in front of others. Sometimes it seems that others are offending you, but in fact, it can remind you to reflect. After all, what other people see in their eyes is mostly just from a different perspective.
Another reason why it is difficult for us to listen to other people’s comments is related to the context in which the comments are delivered. Some people are not very diplomatic. For example, in the case of hairstyle comments, if your friend’s remark is, “It’s so windy today. It’s messing up your hair”, it would be easier to accept. However, the way of expressing opinions should not be the reason why we ignore comments. Instead, we should develop the ability to ‘choose’ other people’s opinions — to discard the harsh ones and take those that helps us. This ability often stems from self-confidence. “The wise man listens to all sides.” We should have the courage to “Go your own way and let others comment”, and at the same time accept other people’s evaluations and recognize our own strengths and weaknesses, so as to become better.
I hope everyone can confidently go their own way. When we have the strength to believe in ourselves, we have less difficulty in accepting the opinions of others.
Hi everyone! My name is Gao Yunchen – my friends call me Peter Gao. I am a Grade 10 student at SUIS Qingpu. I like football and basketball, and in my spare time, I like to write calligraphy, take walks, listen to songs and appreciate lyrics. For me, literature is an important form of social culture, a manifestation of beauty. It records different eras, and more importantly, it also has intrinsic value of purifying one’s heart, that is, it has spiritual value. If science defines the rules and regulations of this world, then literature gives this world a soul. Learning literature can also build our humanistic qualities and improve our aesthetics; build a bridge between ancient and modern world; and inherit our spiritual blood. Literature has benefited me a lot.
