What matters most? What you think of yourself or what others?

Sitting on the fence as I sometimes do, I think both things have their place. If I only thought about myself from my own point of view then that is quite an arrogant attitude. Yes it is important that I like who I am but it is also important for me to care what other people think because by caring what other people think you are helping to form society, to make friends etc. However, we will always come across people we don't really gel with so I'd tend to think that their opinions of me are less important, they don't really matter.

I definitely would have to say what I think of myself. I have had a haircut where others have liked and I didn't. I cut my hair very short and didn't like it because I couldn't do anything with it. Everyone constantly told me I looked great, but because I wasn't comfortable with it, I let it grow out. Another good example I have for this is with my weight. My boyfriend used to tell my every day I looked great, even though I was forty pounds over weight. He may have been comfortable with the way I looked, but I wasn't. I wanted to change and that's what I'm doing now. I have to be comfortable with myself and the way I look before I can be comfortable around anyone else.