Psychologist David Burns notes that it is not another person’s compliment or approval that makes us feel good; rather, it is our belief that there is validity to the compliment. …We are not passive victims of other’s opinions. Their opinions are powerless until we validate them. No one’s approval will affect us unless we grant it credibility and status. The same holds true for disapproval.
John Ortberg, The Life You’ve Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub., 1997), 157-158.