Don't take it personally

I, similar to many others, just watched the much anticipated interview between President Obama and Bill O’Reilly and something tells me that what was mentioned, or not mentioned, will be discussed, replayed and analyzed by anyone who cares, lives, and breathes politics (Can’t wait to see John Stewart’s spiel on it:). The one statement that made an impression on me, however, and that I would like to focus on is President Obama’s reply to the question of whether he is bugged by the fact that so many people hate him. Without hesitation President Obama responded with a ‘no’. And why isn’t he bothered? Because, as he briefly explained, he doesn’t take it personally. The people who hate and dislike him do not really know him. They hate and protest against an image they see presented in front of them, without having the slightest idea of what kind of person stands behind this image.

I am sure that anyone who has achieved any success in life, be it obtaining an education, finding a job, or winning the Nobel Prize, will concur with the President’s statement. The more successful an individual becomes, the more others will discuss them and present them in whatever light they want to present them in. Many will hate. Many will express the hate in words and actions. Many will convince others to hate along with them. So what? Except for a selected few who truly know you, all others hate an image of you, an image they see in front of them. They do not hate the person, just the idea they have of the person. Makes sense to me. It takes thick skin to become a president. Personally, I think it takes thick skin to survive no matter who you are. So next time a person yells at you, curses you, or points a certain finger at you, don’t take it personally. You don’t know them that well and they certainly don’t know you.

- Krasi