You Must Ignore the Haters

Ah, haters. They’re everywhere. From schools to corporate America to right next door. Hate ultimately comes down to the other person, not you. It stems from jealousy or a deep dislike of self that the other person has. It really has nothing to do with you, so you can relax. Whew!

That being said, it’s still hard for us to ignore it.

No one likes to be hated, and putting yourself out there in the blogosphere is risking that very thing. People are very brave when they sit behind a keyboard. Brave to hit that post button (like we talked about yesterday about shutting out fear) and brave when they hit the comment button.

This is especially true when it’s a sensitive topic. Or when you mess up. Everyone’s going to talk about that…

Of course, I think that people are just waiting for that time when I make a mistake and they’re gonna jump on it… There’s gonna be haters. ~Justin Bieber

Now, let me be clear. I am not talking about constructive criticism, honest feedback, or respectfully disagreeing. I’m talking about the people that spew hate, try to stir things up just for the purpose of doing so, or are outright rude or disrespectful. Hateful.

Ralph Waldo Emerson says it best… ‘Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.’ Yep, that. Be sure it truly is hate – there’s a difference between hate and contradiction.

There is something about being anonymous that makes people care less. And when that happens, the internet becomes a very scary place. Haters hate by commenting on blogs and insulting the writer, getting into heated rants, going off topic, sharing inaccurate info or trying to discredit the writer, or voicing their opinions with total disrespect to the writer and/or audience. But you know what gives the haters power more than the internet? You. That’s right. YOU.

The way you respond to a hater, the way you choose to take what they say to heart or not – that makes all the difference. And, what’s the best way to not let them win? By ignoring them. They want attention. Putting you down makes them feel better and they like having the power. You can’t give it to them. 

Of course there are certain things that get to me, but I try and lead by example and show people that, especially with haters, that you should just ignore them. ~Kesha

Easier said than done, I know. Especially since it can sometimes feel very childish. Or downright evil. But, trust me when I say it’s the best thing you can do for you, your readers, your blog, and really, even the haters.

Tomorrow, I’ll be giving you tips on how to handle haters, trolls, negative comments, etc. There are some pretty unique and funny ways I learned that I can’t wait to share.

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