Hello Everyone, this is the podcast, Close to the Bone. I’m your host, Carl Vreeland.

One quick warning before I begin. I will be using, although sparingly, profanity in this episode. After some thought, I decided it was necessary and honest for me to do so. OK. . . .

This is episode #23, entitled, I Don’t Give a F*ck.

From time to time, I’ll hear someone say, “I used to care what people thought about me, now I just don’t give a fu*k.” And although I’m sure they believe this to be true, the words and emotions behind them contradict their intended intention and meaning. It’s quite clear, they do still care. They are bothered by what people think or say about them, only now they are not showing it. The very fact that they are proclaiming they don’t care is indicative of caring. What’s more, the use of profanity is a clear sign of anger. And where there is anger, there is caring. Or more accurately put, there is hurt.

We see similar quotes posted on social media that are intended to be empowering. “I’m all peace, love, light, and a little go f*ck yourself.” You might say this quote is cute and funny, and one should have a sense of humor about it. Perhaps so, but nevertheless, the attitude is aggressive and misleading. Provided we want to be happy and joyful—living with anger and aggression would be imprudent.

Looking further, suggestions like “Be happy, it drives people crazy” are misguiding. Desiring to drive people nuts is an aggressive act. This is an attitude we would be better off without. But you might say, “Why should I concern myself with all this?” Well, the short answer is, an awareness of our emotions, specifically anger and fear, is always wise. Remaining ignorant, meaning, ignoring what may be causing us suffering is unwise, and so we should concern ourselves with all this. In life, everything should be scrutinized, because everything matters when it comes to well-being.

Truth is, if we open up our minds and hearts, we will see and feel that we do care about what people say and how they view us. And there’s nothing wrong with that. We should care. It’s only when we are profoundly bothered by what other people say that we should be alarmed. When people criticize us and it shakes our self-confidence, this is