5 Rules Worth Remembering When Dealing With Haters

“Jesus was perfect and he only had 12 friends.”

Updated 11 years ago, November 17, 2013

1. Negative people will always find something to complain about

As Katt Williams says, “Jesus was perfect and he only had 12 friends.” It’s important to remember that it isn’t about you, there are people who are weak and feel better/smarter by pointing out things that are wrong with what you are putting out, rather than having a hobby or creating something of their own. If you listened to their negativity and changed what you were doing, it wouldn’t make a difference, they would just find a new thing to complain about. That’s just the brain wiring of a negative person–look for what is wrong. If you can’t cut this person out of your life and need help not letting their negativity get to you, try to think about them in terms of the empty boats zen master story. They aren’t attacking you, personally, they’re just running into stuff that happens to be there because being negative is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

2. Complainers are always below the complained about

In a way, haters makes you powerful. You are the one initiating the action, they are the ones responding. You are the leader, they are the follower. Consider it a compliment when people take enough notice of you to spend their time and energy hating on you.

3. If no one is hating you, you’re slacking

No one that history remembers was universally adored during their life. It’s not the nature of doing anything worth doing that it pleases everyone all the time. The only way to do that is to not make any waves at all, ever. Which seems like a huge waste of your life.

4. Haters are deeply unhappy

You can feel it in their unchill vibes.

It’s impossible to be super judgmental about what other people are doing and not be a Debbie downer about how you feel about yourself. The standards you hold for other people get applied internally, whether you intend to or not.