If you want to be successful in life, here’s the shortcut: just tell people what they want to hear. That’s it. Not what’s true. Not what’s useful. Just… what they want to hear. Like a human Echo Dot that nods and smiles.
But if you’re one of those brave, stupid, well-meaning souls who insists on telling people what they don’t want to hear—then welcome. Sit down. This blog is your therapy. Nobody reads it anyway.
Look, we all want to be told we’re right. That we’re good at what we do. That our judgment is rock solid. That our thoughts are wise, our decisions are rational, and our mistakes are secretly signs of genius. Everyone wants that. From your boss to your bai. That need to be “right” is so deeply baked into our mental hard drives, it might as well come with our birth certificate.
So if you want mass approval, it’s simple. Just say things that confirm what people already believe. That’s the trick. Keep saying things that sound deep but basically repeat their existing opinions back at them in fancier words. Boom. Instant wisdom.
Right and wrong? Please. That’s just branding. What’s “right” is whatever gives someone a result they want. If robbing a bank feels like a solution, then it becomes “right” for that guy at that moment. Same goes for the guy riding his bike on the wrong side of the road. Or jumping a red light. Or parking in the middle of the universe. Do they know it’s “wrong”? Sure. Do they still do it? Yes. Why? Because in their head, that choice makes sense under the weight of their life, their mood, their screw-ups, their deadlines. They’re not sitting there plotting evil. They’re just trying to make it to Tuesday.
Now try telling these people they’re wrong. Go ahead. See what happens. You’ll be met with a death stare, maybe a few creative insults, and a lifetime ban from their inner circle. Because what you’re actually doing is threatening their sense of identity. And trust me, nothing pisses people off faster than telling them that their identity is built on shaky logic.
If you want to influence someone, don’t bulldoze their belief system. That’s like punching someone and expecting a hug. Instead, start by acknowledging why their belief made sense to them. Step into their shoes for a second—even if those shoes are muddy and smell like poor life choices. Validate their intention first. Then, maybe, slide in your point like a polite ninja.
You can’t change people’s beliefs just because you have Wi-Fi and good grammar. Beliefs are fossilized. They’ve formed over decades—through pain, fear, childhood, WhatsApp forwards, and uncleji advice. You don’t get to walk in with your PowerPoint of logic and change that overnight.
This is why groups exist—friends, families, communities, cults, whatever. They’re just pockets of people repeating the same things to each other in comforting loops. Like-minded folks, they say. But really, it’s more like “like-believed” folks. They’re there because they confirm each other’s biases and soothe each other’s egos. And honestly? It works. It’s warm. It’s safe. It feels good to be surrounded by people who clap when you talk.
But if you really want to grow, here’s the deal: hang out with people who think you’re full of shit. People who constantly challenge what you believe. People who make your brain itch. Not to annoy you, but because they genuinely see things differently and can explain why. People who don’t just disagree for sport, but who offer you a new lens you didn’t even know existed.
This is hard. Actually, it sucks. It hurts your ego, fries your brain, and makes you question your entire existence on some days. I hate it. You’ll hate it. But do it anyway.
Because once you learn how to listen without getting offended, without taking it personally, without immediately pulling up your mental boxing gloves—you win. You grow. You evolve. You stop being that fragile piece of glass that shatters the moment someone questions your sacred beliefs. Instead, you become… flexible. Expansive. Free.
And after a while, disagreement doesn’t scare you. It fuels you. It helps you build new angles, fresh ideas, and bigger thinking. You become a walking version of software updates—constantly fixing bugs and adding features.
So yeah, either tell people what they want to hear and cruise through life with likes and compliments. Or, learn the art of not getting offended, keep company with the uncomfortable, and build a life that’s actually yours—not one made of recycled beliefs and sugar-coated lies.
The choice, as always, is yours.
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