Who we are is not just constituted by our actions and opinions but also by how people around see us. A YouGov study focusing on personality explored how much people in Britain care about other people’s opinions about them and how much Britons tend to fit in with others.
Our study shows that one out of three Britons (33%) are not bothered by what people around them think of them. However, there are sharp differences between genders, with two in three women (70%) emphasising the importance of what their family and friends thought of them, compared to one in two men (56%). Furthermore, 16-24-year-old women, one in four (27% of) are very bothered by the opinions of others around them, significantly more than for any other age/gender group.
Opinions of strangers
Our research also shows that one in three Britons are concerned about what complete strangers may think of them. The older people are, the less they are bothered by this: 41% of the 16-24-year-olds think this is relevant, compared to 26% of those who are 55 or older. Also, one in three (35%) women find the opinion of strangers important, and this goes for one in four (27%) men.
"Fitting in"
At the end of the day, our looks, appearance, behaviour, opinion about ourselves all amount to one particular social aspect: do we ‘fit in’ or don’t we?
The YouGov Personality survey shows that one in three people in Britain consider themselves to be different. More men (39%) than women (32%) hold this opinion.
Across all age groups, women are more likely to say they tend to fit in. The least number of those who tend to fit in are among men aged 16-24 where almost every second (47%) say they tend to be different.
You can use our interactive charts to compare results and filter them with other questions and crossbreaks. To find out more about the YouGov Personality Study click here.
Image: Getty
