Most people wait for permission to do something. They do it only when their bosses, parents, partners, friends, idols, or governments tell them to. Without which, they will be mindless and engage in pleasure to pass time.
Some people have initiatives but need validations from others. They may start a blog but wait for readers to show up. They may start a business but wait for customers to patronise. They may start a new project but wait for validation from their bosses. They cannot function without affirmations and keep harping about why others don’t value what they do.
Very few people would start something and focus on what needs to be done regardless of how people think about them. In fact, they often receive negative comments instead of validations. But they don’t let those comments bother them. They strongly believe in what they do and they just keep delivering. They could fail in the end, but success also tends to come from this group of people.