Do most people really not care about what people think, or do they just say that?

I care what you think.

I can’t speak for most people, but 95% of the time, I don’t care what people think about me. If I’m dealing with someone that I care about or someone who is important to me in some way, I’m probably going to care what they think. Strangers and mere acquaintances though? Nah, not at all.

If you say you don’t care you probably do care but don’t want to care, or actually plainly don’t care.

I think people would like to believe that they don’t care what others think, and often use this as an excuse to behave childishly.

@Samurai
– But in most cases, which do you think it is? What about you personally?

@Zen You are worse delirious than I am. Go to bed. lol

My advice is from personal experience. About 50% of the time I actually don’t care when I say it, or as much as they may think.

If you have to announce this to the world, then you do care.

@efritz Well if someones talking about things you don’t care much about I can see why they would say they don’t care or a even less polite “shut up”. That rule of thumb is generally right though. Idc could also mean they don’t want you to tell them something.

Maybe people hope that if they say that enough they will actually not care. Another example would be if some fat chick said she was cute over and over until she herself believed it and then kissed the toad to have nothing happen, she would probally still think she was cute and the toad was still ugly.

I think a lot of people care what others think. One support for this argument would be that most women/girls follow fashion trends because they want to be perceived as hip/fashionable/good-looking—hence, they care what someone thinks about them.

I think everyone has someone whose opinion matters to them—for some, it is their peer group; for others, family.

Perhaps most of us who claim not to care what “people” think are the ones who don’t care what their peers think—after all, it’s different if a fellow co-worker or student doesn’t think you’re smart, but if someone who isn’t your peer, perhaps a professor or younger sibling thinks this, that’s completely different.

Wow, I wax philosophical late at night.

@Samurai – true, but “I don’t care what people think” is different from “I don’t care what YOU think”.

The more vague an answer, the more correct it is.

I don’t care what you think ;)

Stating you don’t care must mean you have a reason for saying it. – vague answer to all answers

Who cares?

Goddammit! I care.

I care what those who I respect or care for think of me, but certainly not what those who I don’t care about myself think of me. Why would I? I feel that those who genuinely care about the impression that they make on everyone have some issues with their self respect, are insecure. I can actually take a perverse pleasure in pissing off those who I don’t regard as worthy of respect. I shouldn’t I know, but sometimes I do.

I wish that I didn’t…and frequently try not to but Yeah I totally care at least 80% of my thoughts and actions revolve around other people and how I want to be perceived by them or how I perceive them…so obviously it affects me

I wish I didn’t care so much about what other people think. Strangers included. It makes me feel like a god damn smurf, far too often.

@oratio. You are a Smurf, honey.

@PandoraBoxx Ah well =)

I do care what people think about me to a certain extent and I think everybody should care a little bit. For example, I don’t want anyone thinking I am rude or obnoxious and so I make sure that I always use basic manners. I wouldn’t change my whole personality, hobbies or looks in order for someone to like me but I will make sure I am polite at all times. I think when people don’t care what other people think at all they only let themselves down.

I think most people care a little bit although I do know a few people that are so far up their own behinds that I really believe they don’t care what other people think.

@oratio Is that why you’re blue? I like smurfs.

I care quite a bit; often too much. I think I was too hard on my kids sometimes when they were young and acting up in public.

Certainly some people are far more sensitive to people’s opinion than others, but I think if you don’t care at all, you could have problems.

We have evolved to be social animals, and it is critically important to us what certain people think.

We are also able to evaluate under which circumstances it may not matter so much what someone thinks, but change the circumstances and our evaluation changes.

Everyone is constantly evaluating and reevaluating how much to care about what in the presence of whom, and regulating behavior accordingly.

I don’t know what most people truly think.
I care what people think about me. I try not to, but I don’t believe it can be avoided.

I care very much about what other people think. I’m always seeking approval. Of course, when I get it, I don’t believe it, so it’s a no-win situation. Best to pay as little attention as possible to my feelings about needing approval or whether anyone approves or not. I keep telling myself I’m doing things for me—to think things through; to practice my writing—but underneath that—sometimes a lot and sometimes a little—lies my need for approval and love.

If I respect someone I care what they think. If I do not respect someone their opinion doesn’t matter as much to me.

I do care to a certain extent! Some things really don’t matter to me. Such as fashion! I wear what’s comfortable to me and what I like!

I care what certain people think of me—those that I love and/or respect and those who have the ability to greatly impact my life, like my boss or teachers. For the first, I am who I am, but I want them to have good thoughts and feelings about me. I guess that’s why there are very few people in this category. For the second, I kind of assume a persona and try to keep it up as much as possible. It’s not that I am not myself (I am always making jokes and being forgetful at work), but I definitely remain aware of where I am and what is expected of me.

For the rest of the 99% of the population, I really don’t care. I am careful about my behavior and actions when I am certain circumstances, but I do not care if something I do, say, am, believe, etc. upsets or bothers someone. People upset and bother me all the time. It’s a consequence of living in the world.

People care, saying that you don’t is just a self defence mechanism used to defend against insults. Doesn’t mean it works.

I really do care what everyone else thinks.
I hope no one else said that. I didn’t bother reading any of the responses.

i think most people just want people to think that they don’t care what they think.
huh.

Of course we must care what other people think of us. We have to live together.

When I was a teen/very young adult I really honestly did not care what people thought of me. Now I do and only sometimes I lie and say I don’t ;)

I certainly care what some people think, yes
but there are very few

@Simone_De_Beauvoir if you are fully honest with yourself I am willing to bet you have cared, on occasion, under certain circumstances, what your hairdresser, baby sitter, pool boy and housekeeper thought of you.

@pdworkin only inasmuch as what they’re thinking can create problems for me later on – there are people at work that I don’t care about, at all…yet I act as if I do…obviously that has a purpose for me as all pretense does…I used to care more what people thought when I was younger…now, after all that’s been sad and done, I care less and less…

and p.s. how rich do you think I am? :-0