SOME PEOPLE appear to be hypersensitive to criticism. They act as if hearing anyone else question how they are doing is too painful to bear.
These same “sensitive” people tend to be overly apologetic and self-denigrating about their own behavior, but then they’re easily hurt if anyone else agrees. They complain that the other person is “mean” for not assuring them that they are all right. The subtext of this attitude is their covertly controlling insistence of demanding a constant flow of reassurance from other people.
This kind of touchiness is a subtle form of tyranny, but those around them subjected to it are not required to restrict their own lives. We each have the right to live as we like. The only restriction is that we must not keep others from living as they like. If what we want to say doesn’t harm anyone, we can feel free to say it, even if it ruffles some feathers.
The art of growing older without getting old is to retain the youthful joy of being alive.