I just tweeted something along these lines:

Successful people are either very loved or very hated; nobody ever got noticed for being “liked”.

I’ve always been, and will always be, a sensitive person. This sensitivity, however, swings both ways.

There are days I will be heartbroken over a less than positive critique on an article I wrote for work; and there have been days when knowing that I’m the least-favored editor in the room gives me a flash of confidence. Either way, I’m noticed.

What I don’t like being is “liked“.

Hate me or love me but please, please, don’t just “like” me!

Nobody remembers the concert performance they liked – but, ah, the show they loved because the band sounded syncopated and well rehearsed, while delivering an entertaining rendition of your favorite songs… now that you remember.

You also remember that kid you hated in high school. The one who pushed kids in the halls and never said anything intelligent in class, let alone gave you a nod. You’ll remember that kid’s name. But what about the kid who loaned you a pencil right before your final exam that you were nearly late for – what about that kid?

My point isn’t to be so black and white as “love” or “hate” as it is to ask, why just be gray? Being remembered will get you somewhere; being less than optimal at everything you do, on the other hand, will simply get you forgotten.

Join the conversation: When it comes to standing out in a crowd: Be black or white  (loved/hated) or be gray (a smudge of the two)?

*I’m going to file this under, “Things I learned at 29.”