That's a mantra i learned from Brian Johnson of Philosophersnotes.com
Its not one that follows me every day, but recently while on a family vacation I was able to embody that Word-Tool in my actual attitude towards a critical opinion of someone. I said matter-of-factly, "I hear what you are saying, but I'm not going to agree with you on that." It was regarding haircuts on my boy, but it extended itself to opinions on when i ought to wean him (or that he ought to be weaned sooner rather than later) and other opinions.
It is true that I spent a lot of my past observing parenting behavior and i will inevitably continue to do so, but there is a feeling of judgment that will be lacking from my observations and I aspire to carry an open heart filled with compassion and understanding. That means that I carry with me the understanding that I do not fully understand the suffering of many.
So my freedom from external pressure goes both ways, that i not put negative external pressure on others in an unsupportive or diminutive manner, as well as that i do not become weakened by external pressures that inevitably come my way.
