We must strive to please God in all our relationships. Be careful what you permit. Never allow yourself to be manipulated simply because you want to maintain a friendship or a relationship. If you lower your standard once, you will continue to do so until one day you'll wake up and realize you don't recognize yourself anymore. You have become trapped in trying to win the approval of man.

Solomon said, "Fear of man is a dangerous trap." No relationship thrives when only one person calls all the shots while the other struggles for approval.  Paul said he had no interest in trying to make people accept him; his only interest was pleasing God. (see Galatians 1:10)

God will never ask you to violate your values or disobey His will just to be in the good graces of another person. It is better to be alone and let that relationship go, than to allow anyone other than God control you. Let people know up front that while you'd like their approval, you can live without it if you have to. Respect others and make it clear you expect the same in return.

Live like you have no reputation to maintain! Let everything you do be guided by principles from God's Word. Let your motto be this: "My preferences are negotiable but my principles are not." When you live like this, you will not have a lot of "friends" and you will be called a lot of names.  Rest assured however, that God will be faithful to bring into your life those that are likeminded...those who also want to live under the control of God and not under the trap of man's approval.