“Impressing the World, But Losing Ourselves”

In a world of filtered lives and curated perfection, we’ve unknowingly become actors in a play that never ends — the play called approval. From choosing a career that sounds respectable at dinner parties to buying a car that makes heads turn in traffic, many of our life decisions are influenced by a silent, invisible jury — society.

We’re taught early: “What will people say?” — as if those people are ever going to pay our bills, mend our heartbreaks, or walk in our shoes.

But here’s the hard truth: In the pursuit of impressing others, we often lose touch with ourselves — our authenticity, our joy, and the very fire that makes us us.

The Job We Never Wanted

A well-paying job, a corner office, a title that screams success — but are we truly alive inside, or just surviving Mondays? Too many wear a badge of honour called burnout, confusing busyness with purpose. We studied engineering because our uncle said it’s “safe,” joined a firm because it looked good on LinkedIn, and ten years later, we wonder why we feel hollow.

“Don’t trade your authenticity for approval.”

The Things We Buy (But Don’t Need)

We buy brands, not because we love them, but because others will admire them. We decorate our homes for Instagram, not for inner peace. We celebrate festivals with grandeur, not for devotion, but for optics. And the EMIs? They outlive the thrill.

Relationships That Please the World

We stay in friendships that drain us, simply because walking away might “look bad.” We enter relationships based on what society deems ideal — similar background, same caste, same ‘status’. But compatibility? Shared dreams? Emotional safety? Often ignored. And then we wonder why love feels more like a performance than a partnership.

Friendships for Appearances

We hang around people who clap for us in public but compete with us in private. Why? Because being alone feels awkward. We forget — being alone is better than being fake. Growth often demands loneliness. It’s not punishment, it’s preparation.

The Vicious Loop

Here’s the cycle:

1. We make decisions to impress.

2. We get temporary praise.

3. We feel seen, but not fulfilled.

4. The praise fades. We feel empty.

5. We chase the next thing — rinse and repeat.

   
   

This is a hamster wheel of hidden unhappiness, and the only way out is authentic living.

There’s no credit in living a life built on the pretence of looking rich just to impress others, which most of us do. 

Flashy doesn’t always mean fulfilled. And when we chase a lifestyle beyond our means, who really gains? Not us.

The real winners are the banks and brands that profit from our insecurity — selling us dreams wrapped in EMIs.

They’ve mastered the art of making us feel “less than” so we spend more than we earn, just to keep up appearances in a race no one’s actually watching.

It’s a well-oiled trap — buy now, pay later, and keep paying. Meanwhile, the real cost isn’t just financial — it’s our peace of mind, our freedom, and often, our future.

Just remember — there’s no guarantee to your health, or the job that pays you well today. And certainly no promise that it will grow year after year. Yet the EMIs will keep knocking — month after month, whether you can answer or not.

So let’s get one thing straight — no one has the power to drag us into this system.

Not until we walk in willingly and say, “Let them decide.” 

We craved their approval — and now we’re paying the price: our time, our peace, our soul.

And if we’re already in it, let’s stop complaining about the stress, the debt, the emptiness — especially if we’re chasing someone else’s idea of success. We chose to be slaves to perception, dressed it up, called it “success,” and now wear the chains like jewellery.

How to Shift the Script

1. Ask "Why am I really doing this?"

   If the answer involves more “them” than “me”, pause.

2. Define your own success.

   A peaceful life is also a successful life. So is creative freedom. So is being a stay-at-home parent. Don’t let society’s measuring tape define your worth.

3. Embrace being misunderstood.

   Not everyone will get your path. That’s okay. You’re not walking for them.

4. Build inner approval.

   External validation is fleeting. Inner peace is forever.

5. Make authenticity your brand.

   In a world addicted to image, authenticity is rebellion. And rebellion births change.

Final Thought

Life’s too short to live someone else’s version of it. The job, the house, the car, the partner — they should reflect you, not your neighbours' expectations. The moment we stop living to impress others is the moment we start living for real.

I was also a part of this race🏃🏻— chasing applause, ticking boxes, wearing masks. But I realised, better late than never, that peace is louder than praise, and authenticity is far richer than approval. That realisation changed everything.

Could I truly break free, or am I still unknowingly caught in the race? 🤔

That question still lingers. But awareness is the first step to freedom.

“Caring about what others think will always keep you their prisoner”