Why People Criticize Dreamers (And Why That Should Never Stop You)

Gandhi said, “First, they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” The philosopher recognized how fickle opinions are; his point was to stay tenaciously focused on your outcome regardless of other people’s responses which so easily change.

That is why it is so important to have a clear vision of what you want in life; when other people can’t see your vision you still will because you know the direction in which to go and the destination of your journey.

Over a century ago German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) eloquently stated, “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”

What Schopenhauer had discovered was that some of the biggest opponents would loudly denounce new ideas that they would eventually claim to have come up with on their own once they saw what worked.

For instance, the men and women who laughed at the Wright brothers and called them fools were found after Kitty Hawk proclaiming, “I always knew they would do it.”

What Gandhi and Schopenhauer discovered is the same thing, when you make changes people will automatically resist, even if they don’t know why. Knowing this up front will save you much time. Realize you need to convince no one; as they see your progress they will eventually convince themselves.

A major reason people resist change in you is that it makes them uncomfortable. (This may be due to fear of losing you or of being left behind). Realize that what others say or do is often their own insecurity taking over.

Bruce Wilkinson once said most people gave up on their goal because it was criticized. Don’t let it stop you, instead recognize criticism as a green light to keep moving because you understand it is part of the process.

Consider Zappos, which sold to Amazon for more than a billion dollars. Founder Tony Hsieh wanted a passionate, thriving team behind him. One incredible way he accomplished this was by hiring people who were intensely committed. How did he determine this? Anyone who knew would have said he was crazy, that is, until what he did worked and his company became number one.

Zappos took their new employees through a two-week training period. At the end of that time they gave paid them $2000 to quit. It was a brilliant idea no one had considered. Imagine the commitment and enthusiasm of the team members who stayed. They had complete buy in of the company when they gave the $2000 back and realized they were staying not for a paycheck, but for an opportunity.

So what is your dream? Some will support it, some will criticize it, others will misunderstand it. That is why it must be your dream. The opinions will change once they see you change. For some goals it may be better to keep them to yourself, but either way, keep moving, keep believing and don’t quit.