When someone says to you "It will never work. You will not succeed". How you react?

make a bet about a substantial amount of money. if you win, he will have to pay.
if he wins on the other hand, it does not matter because if your business fails you can declare bankruptcy and don’t have to pay anything. but don’t tell him that.

I’ve adopted a “Go fuck yourself” attitude when it comes to people like that.

Look at the person quizzically and say something like “what an interesting thing for you to say” with a flat affect. Then ignore the person, and don’t allow room in your life for people who are so inappropriate, negative, and cruel.

What @Facade said.

There has never been a successful business person who wasn’t told they’d never make it. I know lots of people who were encouraged and told they could do anything and that they’d be successful who are wasting away, though. Use the feedback to toughen up, focus on your vision, and move forward. If there was any useful feedback, such as a specific hurdle mentioned, use the feedback to address that issue proactively. It is a fact that most start-up businesses fail, but it is also a fact that most successful entrepreneurs failed numerous times before they finally met huge success. It is a learning experience even if it does fail that will ultimately contribute to your success. Either way, you win in the end.

Ok. People didn’t tell you congratulations on your birthday because they’re mean and don’t really care. This guy said this because he’s wicked. And don’t get me started on girls… Maybe you need to step back and take a less selfish look at people’s motives. People might be telling you things because they’re being open and honest with you or not telling you because they forgot and instead of accepting that possibility, they’re being mean to you. Accept the possibility that the problem might lie with you, not them.

And, of course, I only said this because I’m evil.

oh… i just prove them wrong…. and If I fail, I try again until it works… and keep trying… but of course the first 5 min my attitude is what @Facade described :D

I got one response from someone…”

Just the one? You’re rather lucky, then, aren’t you? Imagine whole communities jeering at you and calling you a weirdo and a dreamer – or worse! That’s what many great people had to put up with. It’s how you’re taking it that’s the problem, not anything anyone says.

In karate this month, we’re focusing on how to do our techniques without frowning or making “tsk!” noises at ourselves and not grinning too widely or showing on our faces any extreme emotions. Why? Because it disperses your energy from what you’re supposed to be doing, which is the technique. Do you see? Don’t think about naysayers or cheerleaders, just do what you’re supposed to be doing and never mind anything else. Focus on your business.

If someone is giving you a specific observation, then think about it, as @juwhite1 says, but the whole “How dare they?!” thing doesn’t help. Be calm. Listen, incorporate what’s necessary, discard what isn’t and go on about your business.

is he the boss of a large successful multi million dollar corporation with 100’s of staff and a private jet? no? then pay no attention.

two words: ’‘pet rocks’’

@Ranimi23, Is he smart, or is he an idiot? If he’s smart, you might want to ask him for constructive input, like why he thinks that. If he’s an idiot, when then, what @Facade said.

You really need to spend less time worrying about what people say and think about you, or don’t say or think about.

“Always listen to experts. They’ll tell you what can’t be done, and why. Then do it.” – Robert Heinlein

“Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done. One could write a history of science in reverse by assembling the solemn pronouncements of highest authority about what could not be done and could never happen.” – Heinlein, again.

Maybe he’s a time traveler. Ask him who wins the superbowl this season.
Maybe he just sees into the future. Ask him for some winning lotto numbers.

I once read that there are two types of people, people who hear from others they “can’t do it” and say to themselves, I guess I can’t do it, and then the other group says to themselves, I will show you I can. Supposedly people who are very successful are in the latter group. I kind of believe this. My husband never listens to the negative voices and he is much more ambitious and successful then I am. He is confident in himself and likes to prove other people wrong. When he decided to come to America for college, his family laughed and said he would never last on his own and could not understand why he would go to school here. When he chose his major they laughed at him and thought it was a “girl” major (he majored in HR) and now he is VP with a masters in International business paid for by his company. He is the only child in his family who completed college and he has done very well in his career. Their comments were very hurtful, but he persevered and now they see he was the one who has accomplished everything he has set out to do.

His family was negative, but they didn’t know what they were talking about. That’s another thing, usually the most negative people have no idea about the thing they are commenting on. Try to only speak to business owners who have been through similar experiences, not someone who has no idea what it is like to own or start a business.

Believe in yourself, and if the business does not work it will have been a time of learning for the next project. Learning new things almost always costs time or money or both. Most successful people have learned through making some mistakes, so don’t pressure yourself with doing everything right, just try to look at it as a time of learning and look forward to the future.

It sounds like you are getting positive responses from your original question, pay attention to those.

people enjoy being negative. when i tell people i’m moving across the country, some are excited but a lot of people say “why? why don’t you just stay here? that seems risky, dont you think?” well yes its risky but wtf is the fun in a life with no risk? it’s EXCITING. some people don’t seem to understand that, and are more comfortable with more “safe” situations. personally, it just makes me want to do it even more so i can prove them wrong, so you should feel the same way. You should ignore what this guy said…does he have his own business? probably not. do what you want, and if it fails it fails, but there’s no point in not trying. good for you!!

I was told I could never get through drug rehab and make some thing of myself I worked the hardest ive ever worked in my life it took 5 years but guess what I proved every single one of those bastards wrong

People telling me I can’t do something or that something is impossible only makes me more determined to find a way to do it. By the way, a lot of people talk out of their asses and have no idea of what they’re talking about. I like proving these people wrong, especially if my solution is clever or McGyvered.

smart thing for you to say do you think I’m that stupid to let you convince me to abandon this future profitable business?.Better luck next time!!!

i cave . . . I really have no backbone and I take negative criticism to heart and i let it discourage me.

I always do better when someone challenges my ability, it is a great motivator to prove others wrong.

I laugh – I know what I can do

My first reaction is to be skeptical of any statement that says that something can´t be done. And most often, the first thing I think of are all the possible ways it could be done. I can understand why it might be harder to take a comment like that when it has to do with something so critical as a business, though, as you probably have felt doubts at one point or another so a comment like that might get to you if it is done at the wrong time. Unless the person is very close to you and genuinely worried that you might lose money, they might have bad intentions if they make a comment in that way.Or maybe they´re just not entrepeneurial-minded. If I was extremely sure the business would work, then I would take it as a challenge. If you have any doubts, listen to your market, not this one person.
The important thing is to keep yourself positive about yourself so you don´t let those comments cloud your judgment or affect your ability to sell. To sell, you have to be positive so that people want to buy from you…

If somebody tells me that I can’t do something then I aim to succeed and prove them wrong. One thing I have got is determination to keep going…I usually have the goal in my head and go for it!!

I think…“why do you people always have to drag me down?” then it gets added to the bank of negative comments that people have said to me all my life… then I think about it and brood on it…and wonder…and then think it probably cannot be done, but nevertheless might find it inside of me somewhere, some teeny tiny little bit of light that thinks and hopes that it might just be possible…and then I take teeny tiny steps towards showing the bastards that they know nothing and that I can be a success without them and their negativity…and the doubt still creeps in…and off we go again

I would firslty think what??? Why are you saying that?? Its a brand new business and its all going ahead and I believe in it so why do you even need to spout such negativity?? Thats real mean. Eugh go away you nasty person your negativity is polluting my space. Then I would think maybe he is jelous and sees what a good thing I have got going and instead of saying directly he wishes he had what I had he is saying it indirectly in the only way he can think to put you down about it. It is in theory like a child screwing up their face and folding their arms in a pout. Just say its ok maybe oneday you can work for me if the office cleaner has a sick day I will give you a call. That will reassure him he is not missing out. Some people just cant accept other peoples success and ideas and effort. Sounds like he is one bad apple amoung many good apples who are standing by you – it is funny how in our minds one bad one can spoil a whole cart of good ones.

The hell with em. Who are they to know that? I ain’t gonna give up because someone is most likely attempting to subconsciously nurse the wound within which has been inflicted by their own countless disappointments and failures.

If that’s all they gotta say, and offer no actual advice or help, I would dismiss them.

>_>

I would tell them that I will, and that the only reason they say this is because they’ve never accomplished anything in their life.

I dig in even deeper. Surest way to get me to do something is tell me it can’t be done.

Most people that have a negative reaction to anothers ideas, or success are operating from their unconscious fears and feelings of inadequacy.

Those that put their ideas in motion are threatening to those that either have no ideas, or don’t have the creativity and resolve to follow a more entrepreneurish and enterprising path.

You must keep your thoughts on the affirmative and ignore or avoid anyone that wants to rain on your parade.