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That may be the battle cry of independent thinkers everywhere, but there's one undeniable truth that must be considered, nonetheless.
The people who know you the best and care about you the most can sometimes see things that you might be too "blinded by bliss" to consider yourself, let alone admit to.
The problem is that people who'd like to remain on good terms with us aren't very likely to hand out the blunt truth when they see "red flags".
Make no mistake about it, though. We certainly don't want to get "blown and tossed by the wind" based on the opinions of others...especially the "one off" remarks that could be generated by resentment and/or pure jealousy.
But on the other hand, if we're smart we'd do well to read recurring patterns we notice in even the subtlest feedback from others, and let it serve notice to us when necessary.
Here's how to tell what people who are close to you are really thinking with regard to the woman you're with, simply by what they're saying out loud.
To keep it breathtakingly simple, I've narrowed it down to "Good" and "Bad" in terms of how people are assessing whether she's potentially good for you or not.
1) Your Guy Friends
Bad = "Yeah, she's...uh...nice."
While it's true that your closest friends might give you their thoughts straight up, most of the guys in your social circle are aren't going to do anything crazy and self-defeating like admit that your girlfriend is hotter than theirs.
And let's get real. Most guys you know probably aren't dating hotties.
As such, something like unto the "Good" example I gave above is what you're most likely to hear.
That way, they can keep their dignity by busting on you a bit even as they're all but forced by what's self-evident to acknowledge that they perceive your gal to be high quality.
Similarly, the flip side is that we as guys don't really tend to "go there" when our buddies are dating women who we really wouldn't favor ourselves.
Even if it's a matter of her being flat-out poisonous in addition to lacking attractiveness, we're likely to come up with something positive to say...even if to a minimalist degree.
Hence, the "Bad" example above.
2) Other Women You Know
Bad = They'll say NOTHING
Unless they harbor secret feelings of affection for you, women in your social circle will not hesitate to gush about a woman they see as a high quality addition to your life.
Interestingly, however, unlike your guy friends who will feel compelled to say something even when they question your choice in women, the women you know will flat-out CLAM UP when they aren't all that impressed.
Oddly, even though women can be "catty" as all get out with each other, they don't typically interact in such a manner with guys.
Knowing all-too-well that guys' minds work differently, they don't want to risk looking jealous, hurtful or petty. They also don't want to instigate any sort of conflict.
So...they just keep their opinions to themselves.
3) Older People / Mentors
Good = "She's a gem."
Bad = "Well, make sure to keep your options open."
It really comes down to this. People who are a bit older and know that they've earned your respect in a way that goes beyond mere "buddy" status will give you some of the most valuable feedback you can imagine regarding who you're dating.
You've chosen which older people you respect based on certain gifts they have.
One of those is probably their ability to demonstrate that they care about your best interests even as they know how to be honest with you without "blowing you out of the tub."
So hey, when they see good things in the woman you're dating, you'll get an example like you see above.
This positions their opinion quite clearly while somehow cutting out any potential weird complication associated with their also finding her sexually attractive. See what I mean?
But when the people you respect who've "been around the block" a bit aren't exactly seeing in your new girlfriend what you are at the moment, they'll be a bit more forthright than your peers...while still not quite laying it on the line.
They'll feel the need to remain socially polite, but they'll drop the necessary hint...no doubt.
4) Your Parents
Good = "You've done well for yourself, son."
Awful = They'll let you have it, and you should listen.
I'm assuming, for the purposes at hand, that you have a solid relationship with your parents.
In such case, when they meet your girlfriend you'll hear something to the effect of the examples I've given above based on what they see in her.
Remember, parents tend to think in terms of "long-term potential" no matter who you introduce them to.
That's how they keep themselves sane vis-à-vis letting their thoughts ramble about your dating life.
If you consider for a second about how repulsed you are by the thought of your parents having sex, you'll kind of get my drift. It's like that for them, only in reverse.
With regard to the main point here, however, the added twist with parents compared to others you know is that they are people you feel VERY comfortable with.
So even though your Mom and (especially) Dad might not get weird and tell you how sexy they think your chick is, you can indeed plan on the purest form of honesty from them as you're likely to get from anyone you know.
If they simply suspect she's not good for you, they know better than to say something to sabotage your life. After all, y'all are stuck with each other as family and it makes no sense to start rifts unnecessarily.
That's precisely why you might hear something similar to the "Bad" example above.
But note that I added an "Awful" provision in this particular case.
When your parents--who both love you and are comfortable with you--are reasonably sure you're about to ruin your life, they're going to be pretty frank about it.
Are there more, and possibly better examples than what I've shared above? Certainly. But I wanted to at least give you the framework to be able to read people's thoughts about your girlfriend with some measure of accuracy
Remember, you're free to choose whoever you want for female companionship. And it's very true that you shouldn't be influenced by just any random opinion someone else may have.
But those in your family and your social circle can--and will--give you valuable patterns of information that will help you validate your feelings toward a woman, or otherwise.
And when it comes to deciding the long-term potential of a woman, you'll always benefit from making full use of every resource at hand.
What did I miss? Leave it in the comments.