Sunday, January 20, 2013

Would you want your friends to tell you what they really thought of you? (Book of Questions)

I picked up this book when I was 16 and I've used it as an ice-breaker for every major phase in my life from getting to know my new co-workers, getting to know new friends and even my (at the time!) soon-to-be husband.  Now, let US get to know each other! Are you ready?

Question 118: If your friends and acquaintances were willing to bruntly and honestly tell you what they really thought of you, would you want them to?

This is definitely another one of those questions that I know my answer has changed over the years. 

When I was younger, I would always say yes, and I would still say yes now, but for very different reasons.

There's a lot that I can look back on my life and just think 'oh god, Michelle. Why are you like you are?' and this question and my answer is a perfect example of this.  When I was younger, I would have said 'yes' because I believed all of my friends and acquaintances to have the same negative and hateful attitude about myself that I had at the time.  I would have said 'yes' to this question as a teenager because I felt that it would reinforce how I already felt about myself.  (That I was horrible, unloveable, unlikeable person)

Now, I would say 'yes' to prove my younger self wrong.  I would love to have my friends and acquaintances tell me what they really thought of me because it's been a really long time since I was able to hear nice things about myself and more importantly, to believe them.  It would be nice to hear good things when I'm in a position to actually acknowledge that they might be right.

Of course I hold no such belief that everyone would have nice things to say, but I don't think anyone would have any really strong negative feelings about me either.  I just don't think I'm the type of person to inspire any strong feelings either way. 


What say you?  Would you like to know what your friends and acquaintances think of you? 

6 comments:

  1. My first answer would be 'yes' but after thinking about it I think I'd rather not know what people think of me. Yes, sometimes it would be easier but if I knew what people thought about me then it wouldn't be any fun. You wouldn't talk to strangers and you'd just stick to the people you were familiar with.

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    1. It wouldn't apply to strangers - just your friends and acquaintances, not like mind-reading or anything :)

      ...and you might not stick with people who are familiar to you if you really knew?

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  2. Interesting question! Like Lucy and yourself, my first thought would have been 'yes' but now that I think about it I don't think I would. I am trying to get better at not caring what anyone else thinks... and I can pretty much guarantee most of the people in my year see me as a nerd. I don't think my friends would be mean to me either - if they don't like me then why be friends with me? :P I have a great, but small, friendship circle so I don't think it would be necessary to find out what they despise about me.
    Thanks for posting, Clover! I love that questions book and your answers are so interesting. :)

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    1. Great answer, Zoe! I try to worry less about what other people think of me as well. I guess what's important is that you're okay with who you are and you have people around you who are as well and that you know that already!

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  3. What an interesting book. I should get a copy to use as a conversation starter at the dinner table.

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    1. Honestly, this book has been amazing at different point of my life to really get to know people and to find out more about each other. I really recommend it!

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