Those Who Mind Don’t Matter, Those Who Matter Don’t Mind - Theodor Geisel

“Those who mind don’t matter, those who matter don’t mind”. A famous quote credited to Theodor Geisel, or more widely recognizable as Dr. Seuss. However this quote is misattributed to the doctor as it was actually articulated by Bernard Baruch, a character in the book Shake Well Before Using: A New Collection of Impressions and Anecdotes Mostly Humorous (1948). This noteworthy piece of trivia however does not detract from the significance of the quote. As I write this paragraph, I have just arrived home from a pleasurable night of partying with friends. During the night I adamantly refused the consumption of any alcoholic beverages. As I watch my peers enjoy their night freely, the question of why does ingestion of fermented beverages be so enjoyable. This question did not arise from a certain principled high horse, as I personally have many moments enjoying losing my mind, in both social and spiritual settings.  I was attempting to answer this question not from a scientific perspective, but a sociological and psychological one. Well, in its deepest essences it liberates your mind from the chains of sobriety and allows you to freely express yourself. It is an escape from reality. Now escaping reality is nothing to be condemned, as watching a movie or listening to your favourite song would also be categorized as a form of escapism, although rather harmless one. It is not an uncommon view amongst the general public that alcohol is perceived as form a liquid courage or a social lubricant. It allows individuals to more effortlessly forget anxieties, social norms, and most importantly not being obstructed by the alleged judgements of others. Many people find this the only way of truly letting go in a social setting, and almost exclusively a foreign one and this state can rarely be achieved within the confines of ordinary sobriety. People may believe that if they express themselves, they will be publically rejected. Even more so, many individuals hold the belief that they are the only one who feels this. The degree of this inhibition can be varying amongst the general public, where on one point of the spectrum, it can be like punching through paper and the other end it is like punching through lead. It can be extremely debilitating to certain individuals where the ingestion of psychoactive forms of drugs both legal and illegal can be the only relieve from this reserve. This returns myself to my opening sentence, “Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind”. It is infinitely more satisfying and fulfilling to live and act throughout your life in accordance with your own beliefs and rather than being subjected to society, friends or even family. If you are an individual who has good intentions for yourself and others and wishes to add value to the lives of people you interact with, then inhibition to express your thoughts, opinions, and actions should appear nonsensical.  We are relentlessly ensnared in a tug of war against ourselves, against our reptilian brain. Your mind can sometimes be your greatest ally or your worst nemesis.  It will deter you from voicing that inappropriate, funny joke, or talking to someone you deem attractive or communicating a unpopular opinion. No no no, I can’t say, I can’t do that, what if they do not laugh, what if I get rejected… thoughts that are familiar to all of us. In the age of digital likes, followers, shares, retweets, and views, it may be challenging or for some people impossible to detach their individual self-esteem from the validation of the world. A mode of thinking that we all are guilty of. A manner of cognition where you essentially value the thoughts of opinions of other above your own. This path will only further lead to dissatisfaction with one self, as your emotional condition may be a calm blissful breeze at one moment and be a raging tempest at the next.  In closing, I like would to depart with a simple quote, which speaks many truths from Mark Twain “The worst loneliness is to not be comfortable with yourself”.