Why do we admire people who do not care what other people think about them?
Why do we admire people who do not care what other people think about them? 
Photo credit: Ralf Weiser, Captain Sig Hansen in Bethlehem PA 2014
Admit it, people who know what they are doing and don’t care what other people think of them are just cool. They typically know what they stand for and have a list of goals that they are busy pursuing – and they are successful doing that. Being good looking helps, but that is not necessarily a pre-requisite.
Take for instance the crew of the “Northwestern” from the TV reality show “Deadliest Catch”. Sig Hansen, his brother, and Jake (another crew member) recently were on tour and I got the chance to see them in Bethlehem PA. Their antics were instant classics. Sig for instance threw out the water bottles put in front of them by the stage crew. He replaced it with a beer he had brought on stage with him from his room. During the whole show they were exactly like they are on the show. Him and the others did not care the least that they had hundreds of guest right there with them.
So what makes them so different from us? Well, nothing at all. We all have the same potential as them. The only one difference is that they have not granted power to other people. Yeah, that’s right. That is the fine but most important difference. They strongly believe that power is given to but not possessed by others.
That is the easy part. How can they be so sure of themselves? That is a tough part. In order to gain self-awareness you have to spend quite a bit of time pondering your purpose. What are you here for? Where are you headed? Whom do you want in your life who can pursue your goals together with you?
That is why we admire other people: they are true to themselves. Good news is that we can all start in a moment’s notice. You’ve got to start though.
Ralf
