Are you a thick-skinned or thin-skinned person? Learn the difference between the terms

Today we're talking about two different kinds of people. One concerns the kind who doesn't mind criticism and never takes things very personally and the other concerns the kind who's very sensitive. If someone is thick-skinned, it means he or she ignores personal criticism. So, take some public people as an example. They're mostly thick-skinned because even though they're exposed to a lot of pressure, they have to learn how to not let it get to them. On the other hand, if you know someone who's always thinking everybody's against him and is very sensitive, you can call him a thin-skinned person.

If you're dealing with someone sensitive like that, you can tell him to grow a thick skin. That means you're encouraging the person to develop a more strong attitude towards criticism and not to be sad about it. If there's someone thick-skinned you admire, you can say "Sally has a thick skin. You should be like her. She never spends one second of her time worrying about what people might think about her". Many people think it's imperative to have a thick skin to survive in today's world because if you take everything personally, you'll end up going insane. There's too much competition and it's not difficult to find someone willing to pull the rub from under your feet. So it is no surprise if during a job interview you get asked "do you have a thick skin?". If you say you do, which is the answer the interviewer is expecting, that can count as a point in your favor. Just imagine the expression in its literal meaning. Someone with a thick skin would be at advantage for owning a natural protection against harm of others. That's all for now. Take care!