Eleanor Roosevelt is credited with the quote: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
I won’t argue, it’s a beautiful sentiment, and gives you the feeling you truly have control over all situations where you encounter negativity directed towards yourself. Who doesn’t like the ring of that?
But is it really true? Sure, we can control how we respond, how we react when unkind words are spoken to us, or trickle down through the game of Telephone. But I don’t know if you can ever truly ready yourself for the surprise, the hurt, that can accompany the pain of unkind words. Especially when it’s a simple misunderstanding, a thing out of context, or even simply… wrong. It can almost feel like a betrayal under the perfect storm of circumstances.
And what about when it’s not just one person, but a group? To be the outcast and have your side of story drowned out in the crowd, or even worse, ignored. It can be hard to stay your ground or feel your initial call was truly the right one. It’s easy to be swayed by the desire to belong, to reclaim the status quo.
The continued acceptance of those you love, those you trust, can be an integral part of our lives that we take for granted until the tables turn. And have a larger impact than we realize.
I try to remind myself of Eleanor’s word often, but as time goes on it becomes harder to adhere my life to it. I try to brush it off, say I don’t care, that they’re the ones missing out. But some days it’s hard.
And those “some days” are starting to accumulate.
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