They Don’t Know You

March 24th 2017

“Don’t bother about people who judge you without knowing you. Remember, dogs bark if they don’t know the person”–Unknown

It is easy to assume you know all there is to know about a person in this day and age. Anything you could possibly want to know about them–thoughts, ideas, experiences, lifestyle, etc–all up on a screen for the world to see. With our constant online presence, the world is more connected than ever which makes it easier for people to get close to us in ways we cannot even imagine. However, these people don’t know you.

Aside from social media connecting people who would otherwise not know each other, phones in general keep us in constant communication with people. You can message with someone all day every day and they could still know nothing about you. They can still make false assumptions and still perceive you to be a completely different person than you are. However, they don’t know you either.

We hear the things that have been said about us when our backs are turned or our eyes are shut and we wonder whether or not these statements are valid. “You’re fake” “You’re too happy all the time” “No one likes you” “You’re a slut” “You’re a bitch”. Words, just words and nothing more. These people don’t know you. These people are not satisfied enough in their own lives that they need to take to the internet to tear you down to let them feel as though they are finally the alpha. But, they don’t know you.

They can’t see who you are when the phone screens go dark or the texts stop rolling in. They don’t know what you are to other people. They don’t know you. They don’t know the things you love and the things you hate or the thoughts you have when you’re laying in bed at night. People know as much about us as we let them know and if they choose to make generalized assumptions about who we are based on what they think they know, let them. Because they don’t know you.

So next time someone tries to make you believe that you are anything less than the person you believe you are, remember, dogs bark if they don’t know the person.

Jess