Having hates is an inevitable part of any bold journey – everyone who has made a difference in the world has had doubters and critics. As natural as haters might be, in the age of social media it’s become harder and hard to ignore them – and so we asked some brilliant creatives and entrepreneurs to tell us how they deal with haters.
Julia Pic
Persisting despite the haters has always been a recurring theme in my life. From the time I was young, it seemed that others were constantly critical of my choices, even though very few people truly knew me.
The fact is that I have always done what I wanted. I’m naturally strong-willed (though my family would call it stubbornness!) and I’ve always been very clear about the things I wanted to accomplish. For better or for worse, once I set my mind to something, I find a way to make it happen. Read more>>
Joshua Lipka
“You will never be criticized by someone doing more than you.”I have lived by this quote, which has been my guiding light in times of self-doubt and darkness. As a graphic designer, I’m constantly creating, designing, trying new ideas, developing new concepts, and developing merchandise. Back in 2016, I had a t-shirt design go viral within the LGBTQ community, and it opened me up to so much backlash and negativity online. I shut it down and stopped my success. Read more>>
Francine Yonkey
I stayed true to my vision and focused on the end goal. I surrounded myself with supportive people who believed in my potential, and I used criticism as fuel to improve and push myself further. Instead of getting discouraged by negativity, I let it motivate me to prove them wrong. My belief in what I am doing is stronger than any doubt others tried to place in my mind, and that kept me going. Read more>>
Pinky Da Don
I keep moving regardless because I know what’s for me will always be for me. There is nothing anyone can do to stop what is for me even though they are going to try to stop it. Despite people not supporting, lying on me in hopes of making themselves look better, shady business, envy and hate I stand firm on the ground and I keep going. Read more>>
Tawanna Houston
Know that I do not merely operate on physical, Mental, and/or emotional strength alone but most importantly spiritual strength granted by God to be able to demonstrate remarkable resilience and positivity in the face of criticism and negativity. (Phil. 4:13) Here are a some tips on ways I persist: 1. **Keeping My Focus on Goals:**
keeping my eyes on my aspirations and the reasons behind my work, helps to stay motivated regardless of external opinions. Read more>>
Olive Capri
Long answer: Persisting through haters and naysayers is like practicing spiritual alchemy. In alchemy, the goal is to transform one thing into another, we can turn negativity and doubt into inner strength and wisdom. Each criticism or setback is transmuted to seeing the lessons within, refining myself, and becoming more resilient. Read more>>
Heartbreakhotel
You must pay attention. A lot of people say to ignore haters but the voices will still be there, to completely rid yourself of succumbing to hate is by understanding your hater, when you seriously put yourself in their shoes you will understand the only reason they hate is because they see something in you that is already in themselves. A lot of hate usually comes from a place of hurt and fear. Some hate because they may have the same potential as you but feel some kind of way because they are completely unaware of how to channel that potential so they think they have bad luck which causes unnecessary jealousy. Understand there is no valid reason for hatred, not rightful hatred like everyone hating a murderer, but wrongful hatred as in someone trying to accomplish something. Read more>>
Kurt Gurdal
It was a 10 year struggle for me to open up my shop. So first of all, I had worked too hard to open my business and I had too much to prove to myself to allow haters to get in my way. I grew up competitive, playing sports, and knew that there would always be people wishing for you to lose. I learned quick that having “haters” can be outside your control — and the only way I know how to combat them is to show results. So although I would have ruts, having a hunger to succeed and truly believing in what I was doing kept me moving forward. Read more>>
J. Cate Kassab
I realized that those people, in anyone’s lives, are your biggest fans. If you don’t have them, you aren’t doing something right. You should be thankful for your haters because they show you that you are on the right path. Eventually haters mature. I personally reached a point of what I believe to be the highest level of maturity and don’t have the capacity to hate anyone. It’s wonderful and complete peace. It comes from self respect, understanding and evaluation. I also read a lot and study human behavior because I work in sales. I figured out that if I ever hated anyone else, in the past, it wasn’t them I ever hated. It was a reflection of something I needed to improve or just wanted to improve in myself. Here’s an example that makes it easier to understand. Read more>>
Cole Marting
One of my most strong and memorable encounters with nay-sayers was in my years at UC Santa Barbara. From the very beginning, I found myself a part of a vocal minority, a conservative on a college campus. My heavy involvement in local politics and student government didn’t help much in that department either. This was especially true when I strived to participate in initiatives like the annual student lobby trip to Washington D.C. This trip was a chance for students to advocate for our generation’s toughest issues directly to Congress, and I felt strongly that my perspective could contribute to a more balanced representation of our student body’s needs. Read more>>
Rob Walker
To keep it real, when poeple are hating on me its my fuel that gives me drive. Without my haters I would never be successful. Really, I actually need my haters. Big Shoutout to all my haters out here! Read more>>
Drew Xavier Pitcher
Honestly, this might sound like an unusual answer, but I don’t believe there’s anything to persist against. I’ve learned over time that people who spread negativity or try to bring it into someone else’s life are usually doing it because they’re dealing with a lot of pain themselves. Their level of outward negativity is a projection of their level of internal hurt. So, when I come across that kind of energy, I simply extend empathy and compassion, because I understand what it’s like to be in pain. At the same time, I remain deeply grounded in my own self-belief. That keeps me steady. It’s a balance — having empathy for others, but being solid in who you are. Read more>>
Edwin De La Rosa
Look, I’ve been told ” You can’t do that” my whole life. I just consider the source. Most of the time it’s coming from as you said, Haters and Nay-sayers which I put into three categories. Number one: Those that are to scared to try. Number Two: Those that wish to see you fail because they did. Finally number three: Those who have made it and believe you to be a threat to their position. Read more>>
