How do you block out negative comments from strangers, whether they're on the street or online?

People say that words "...may never harm me", but for those of us who've been harassed or ridiculed by them we know that it's not true. Words are one of the foremost destructive things that people can use in their arsenal of negativity. We read and hear these horrible words on a daily basis, and can feel alienated and awful when they are directed at us. This leaves us with a very tough situation. How do we block or counter something that's not a physical threat, but harms us mentally? It's difficult, but there are ways. Taking a more logical perspective can help when dealing with people using verbal abuse. Understanding a little as to why people say such things can give us a more rounded defense. Sometimes, verbal abuse is unintentional and takes a more passive disguise. People will regurgitate things that had been driven into them as a child or are trendy in the media, such as "fat shaming" and "passive racism". Some people genuinely don't understand that by saying such things they are perpetuating hate. That's not an excuse by any means, but it still happens. Then there is direct verbal abuse. People who use this as a means of harassment and violence are often very troubled in their own lives, or in some cases not emotionally or mentally intelligent. Some people say harmful things around a group of peers to try and fit in, while others do it because it may be the only situation in which they feel they have control over. Knowing some of this and applying it to a situation may help logically explain some things in your mind, and better help you deflect those negative words. Also, remember that: Strangers don't know you. They only know what they want to know about you by what they see. They can only interpret you by physical appearances, and that's not an accurate assessment. Sometimes I go to the store in my Pajama pants when I'm in a rush, but that doesn't mean I'm homeless or a slob. However, I've been called such. The point is, you know the truth about yourself, and they know nothing. And this doesn't just apply to appearances either, emotions and performances can be included in this as well. Say you did poorly on a test and people make fun of you about it. They don't know why you did poorly. You may have severe test anxiety, a problem that they have no mental grasp of. It's hard to feel accepted into a society that propagates this perpetual wheel of negativity and high standards. Standards that, I might add, nearly no one can conform to. So it's important to accept yourself as who you are. There is no shame in being overweight, or gay, or tall, short, bi, black, Asian, white, skinny, freckled, nerdy, purple, 9 headed, or from Jupitor. We're all different, we must simply accept that. So the next time you hear some slander hate being thrown your way, think about how those people are probably dealing with something else in their lives and can't cope with it. Or they aren't disciplined enough to know that being rude is a crime against humanity and you're above that. You've got more important business elsewhere in your life than taking time to deal with haters. :) And you're not alone. Just know that if you said hello to someone on the street and smiled at them, there are people who would give you a nice smile back, and that's worth more words than any hate-monger can say to you.

You can't - it's just a reaction. You can learn not to let them affect you though. Does it start a negative spiral? Think STOP. Remember that people commenting often has NOTHING to do with you, but all with themselves, they do not know you. They probably are saying such thing because of frustration, anger or self hate, to push their ego etc. You're great - nobody can bring you down ;-)

Negative comments can be very hurtful, even if it is from people you don't know. Have you ever considered why their words affect you so much?

I remind myself that these are just strangers. They do not know me or what Ive been through so couldn't possibly be worth my time and efforts thinking on what they have said.

stranger never care, jealous stranger is. block them out, they make you stronger and braver. besides, what's the fun if they're not here?

Try to remind yourself of the fact that they are strangers. They don't know you, so anything they say about your personality or life doesn't matter at all and if they make nasty comments about your appearance they probably think it's "funny" to laugh at strangers, which it obviously isn't. Ask yourself how much you (should) value a strangers opinion in this scenario. People will always have different opinions on you, but not all of them are of value. What I also like to do is remind myself of why I look/walk/whatever the way I do. I know I went out with messy half wet hair because otherwise I wouldn't have been able to catch my bus. If someone points at me and says something insulting then I just try to remind myself that I know why I have damp hair (in this scenario) and if they really care that much then they could walk up to me and ask me why my hair is slightly wet, but as most people don't do that it becomes pretty clear that they often don't really care about you, but just want to let out their own frustrations or make fun of someone for the sake of it.

While I'm usually pretty good at just shrugging these off, sometimes what strangers say can really hurt. When this happens I like to think, what would my friends and family think say about this thing? At the end of the day, other than what I think of myself, my friends and family are the only people who's opinions actually matter to me! So they're the ones I want to focus on!

Strangers don't know you, if they insult you, ignore them "The only ugly girls are the ones that don't realise that beauty comes from the inside"-Daniel James a Howell. You're amazing okay, don't forget that.

On the street I ignore them, I just walk past them or I put my music louder. On the music I block those people, or I tell them honestly that I don't care

You smile and say thank you for their opinion. Then walk away and remember how good of a person you are