This was the question I asked myself when one of the closest people I knew took a complete 360-degree turn in his life. This question was not something I was unaware of—I knew enough about how people change their decisions, especially to please others. But because we had grown together—our thoughts, knowledge, and perspectives had evolved side by side—it felt really personal.
This made me wonder: people do grow in life, but sometimes they end up turning into a version they themselves are unfamiliar with and uncertain about. And this takes place when we give enough power to external voices. We end up giving them so much power that we don’t realize they are the ones controlling us—our decisions, our happiness, and our identity—making us feel miserable.
Amidst such voices, it is easy to lose ourselves, and the things that matter to us become secondary. We humans are social creatures, and in a world that is evolving every day, we crave validation, attention, and approval from others. And when such things matter, we choose those choices and practices that are recognized and praised by the people around us.
This is why we get influenced so easily.
The concept of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) completely describes this and plays a subtle role in shaping our decisions. Over time, we begin to doubt ourselves when we see people doing multiple things and having experiences. There’s a sense of helplessness when the outside world dictates you.
But at the same time, ask yourself: “Is it really my happy place?” “Are other people enjoying what they are doing?”
In the end, it’s just how fragile our identity is and how easily we can lose touch with ourselves—our voices, our thoughts, and the things that truly matter to us. This made me realize: staying true to ourselves is our choice. It is not something we can learn from others.
It surely takes courage to listen to and follow our inner voices—but in the end, it makes everything worth it.