Rihanna Knows Every Commenter Is Just Three Babies in a Trench Coat

Rihanna shared some tidbits about her life in new interview with her Ocean’s 8 co-star Sarah Paulson—among them that apparently, she can be really shy; she lives and dies by her personal calendar; and Paulson used to make up songs and sing them to her when they were shooting.

But the most inspiring thing she shared was her personal philosophy for dealing with mean comments from strangers online. That’s because Rihanna knows the truth: every one of those people is just three babies in a trench coat who feel emboldened by their internet connection, and would never be as cruel to you to your face.

Rihanna remembers the anonymity of first being on the internet as a teen: “I remember being a kid and being like, ‘Wow! I’m in a chat room. I can say whatever I want. They don’t know how old I am. They don’t know who I am, or where I am.’” She goes on:

There’s that idea of being a child behind a screen and having that feeling like you can say anything. That child is who I imagine behind a comment every time I see one. They would never say that to my face. They probably wouldn’t even say hello.

Accurate! This is such a healthy attitude to have. It’s nice to know that it’s something she’s been cultivating for a long time, which suggest it’s something that can get stronger over time. I also loved the image of a very young Rihanna, brushing off the haters from a very young age (emphasis mine):

I have to say, I’ve always had pretty tough skin—even as a little girl, which was completely due to my parents. They never sheltered me in any way. They would tease me, and I would tease them right back. By the time I got to school, I always had this feeling like the kids were stupid.

A reminder that even Rihanna gets frustrated by her peers, should you ever happen to feel that way.