How Can I Avoid Being Influenced By Others?

Are you assertive in your communication?

Do you look to others to approve your thoughts and actions?

Do you force yourself to give compliments to others?

Do you tend to defend yourself?

Have you been at the receiving end of manipulations and criticisms?

Do you feel confident in your decisions?

Clean and clear communication is necessary to tell others what you think without sounding too harsh or rude. Hone your communication skills to give you the confidence to tell others what you think, as long as you say it politely.

When you look to others to ratify your actions and thoughts, it's time you take a deeper look at who you are and why you don't have confidence in your decisions. And while doing it, stop looking to others to approve your actions because it may be impossible to always satisfy others. Instead, ask what your goals are and follow it, even if others disapprove it because in the end, it is your life and your thoughts alone are important.

First off, it is wrong to give compliments as it truly makes the other person's day. At the same time, avoid giving compliments that are not honest. In other words, when you have to force yourself to give a compliment, stop. A simple smile would do if you want to acknowledge their efforts, but giving insincere compliments all the time can lead to low self-esteem over time.

Often, when someone asks a question, we end up giving a big explanation as to why we did and the reasons behind our actions. That's not needed at all! You did something because you thought that was the right thing to do. When you start giving explanations or reasons for your actions, you become defensive and this is a sign of weakness. Regardless of what you do or don't, there will always be people to criticize you, so save the defences and excuses and move on with what you think is right for you.

Manipulations and criticism will be an integral part of your social life and you should know to weave through it and emerge unscathed. One way is to simply ignore what others say and move on with your life. If you decide to take this route, make sure you never give in to emotional appeals and guilt and above everything, avoid the scare of threats.

Great! You're well on the path where you avoid being influenced by others.

You should trust yourself to make the right decisions and if you don't feel that trust, stop what you're doing, sit, and think of the reasons for this lack of confidence. Is it your own self, the things around you, lack of enough information, or what. Take the necessary steps based on this analysis to get confidence in your decision-making skills.