I’ve served places where the driving force in people’s lives was what others thought of them and their family. Thus why little girls at church would look at the label on other kid’s clothes. Thus why dads manipulated little league baseball drafts to get certain kids. Thus why people sided with people with business interests or who their kids friends were instead of truth. They cared more about what people thought than right and righteousness.
Yet consider what is written in Scripture…
With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. (1 Cor 4:3-5)
Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Gal 1:10).
Odd thing is about pleasing others is… First, many really don’t care or think about you as much as you think they do; Second, most wouldn’t stick with you if the going really got tough; Third, it is impossible to ever please others because there are competing expectations that conflict and contradict each other. Fourth, (According to Paul) We don’t even think right things about ourselves! Then most important, their evaluation of you is meaningless. The only evaluation that matters is God’s, when you stand before Him on judgment day.