You have most likely been told multiple times in your life that what other people think doesn’t matter. There’s a lot of weight and truth to this advice, but whether it be silent judgement, or passive-aggressive compliments, you will be constantly judged by people you do or don’t know throughout your life. Like taxes, being judged by others is an inescapable part of life.

Let’s be real, the harshest critiques in life have always been from ourselves. The one thing many people have criticized the most about themselves is how they look. There is some merit to this self judgement, and it’s because how you look matters.

However, it should only matter to you. Make an effort for yourself, so you like how you look. There’s a reason some people look happier right after a haircut or when they wear their favorite clothes. It’s because if they know they look good, they’ll feel good, too. And honestly, “looking good” is purely an opinion. You may not like how someone else looks, and they may not like how you look. What’s important is that you’re confident in your appearance.

Of course, it’s easier said than done when it comes to loving your appearance. The littlest things, like a blemish or a bad hair day, can completely sap your confidence away. It gets even harder to have confidence in yourself when the things that bother you aren’t easily improvable, like your weight or acne. If that’s the case, then you have two options. Either work hard to improve these flaws, or capitalize on something else you are proud of.

At the end of the day, the only person that truly affects how you look is you. Yes, it still hurts when someone thinks you don’t look good enough, and it’s rather unfortunate that people are so quick to judge by appearances. But when you start believing that you look good enough, then the world will start believing it too.

So take pride in how you look. Wear your favorite clothes. Love that beanie with cat ears? Then wear it, enjoy it’s quirkiness and flop those ears. And remember that only your opinion matters when it comes to how you look.