The reason we argue with the critics and ignore the people who like us is simple:

We want everyone to like us.

We want a 100% approval rating.

I’m here to tell you, it’s not coming.

Not because you’re dumb.

Not because you’re lazy.

Not because you just haven’t tried hard enough.

You’ll never have 100% support for your dream.

The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can start having fun with the people who do support it.

I want 100% approval sometimes. When someone tweets, “I used to like you more a few years ago,” I want to prove to them that I’m still a good person. When someone says, “I miss the funny you,” I want to call them on the phone and ask where our comedic sensibilities parted ways. When someone I’d never met walked up to Jenny and I recently at a farmer’s market and said something really ugly to me based on who they thought I was, I wanted sweep his leg Cobra Kai style.

But karate is never the answer and for all I know, that dude knew the crane kick.

I want 100% approval but then I remember something.

Your ability to do awesome things is proportional to your willingness to be criticized by people who don’t understand them.

[Tweet “Your ability to live loud is proportional to your willingness to be criticized by people who don’t.”]

The end.