I don't care what anybody thinks!

Have you ever heard anybody say that? Have you ever said that? I know that I have. But when someone says that, do they mean it? Are they telling the truth? Do they even think about what they are saying or is it just a gut reaction?

In my case, it was a true statement. I really didn't care what anybody thought. But only when I felt confident that what they were thinking, or saying about me would in no way negatively influence the expected outcome of the task that I was attempting to accomplish at the time.

However, at other times, saying "I don't care what anybody thinks!" was just a gut reaction and I did in fact care what was being said about me. Or, better stated, I was concerned if what was being said about me would adversely affect my ability to achieve my goal. The focus was on getting the job done and pretty much nothing else.