Stop trying to impress everyone else

Summary

The article emphasizes the importance of self-improvement and authenticity over trying to impress others, especially in the context of social media influence and societal pressures.

Abstract

The article "Stop trying to impress everyone else" argues that the pursuit of self-validation should not be contingent on external approval or comparison to others. It highlights the detrimental effects of social media on self-esteem, as it often presents an unrealistic portrayal of others' lives, leading to unhealthy comparisons and behaviors. The author points out that the constant drive to meet societal standards of beauty, intellect, and success can result in mental health issues, such as eating disorders and feelings of inadequacy. Instead, the article encourages readers to focus on personal growth and self-acceptance, suggesting that true contentment comes from being oneself and not from the approval of others. It underscores that life is non-linear and that everyone's journey is unique, advocating for a shift in perspective where individuals measure their progress against their past selves rather than against others.

Opinions

The author believes that life should be seen as an opportunity for self-growth rather than a competition against others.
Social media is criticized for exacerbating the issue of self-comparison, with influences and advertisements promoting unrealistic beauty standards that can lead to mental illnesses.
The article suggests that the pressure to conform to these standards can cause individuals, especially teenagers, to feel the need to alter their appearance and compromise their authenticity.
It is expressed that the number of likes, followers, or other social media metrics should not define a person's worth.
The author advises that one should prioritize their own opinion of themselves over the opinions of others, and that it's important to surround oneself with supportive people who do not engage in negative comparison.
Jealousy and comparison are seen as negative forces that should be avoided in favor of self-improvement and personal development.
The article encourages readers to focus on their own progress over time, rather than comparing their achievements to those of others.
It is argued that being oneself is the only thing a person can excel at without competition, and that embracing one's uniqueness is key to living a fulfilling life.

The only real person you need to impress is yourself

People each day strive for perfection, looking for new ways to challenge themselves and become the best. At times people forget who they really are, they spend way to much time comparing themselves to the point they forget about everything else.

The most important thing in your life is not to be at the very top and continuously comparing yourselves to someone “better” than you. Life is about self-growth, not a competition.

From the very start people have been comparing themselves to others, but have social media has made it so significantly worse. All the influences advertising the “perfect body”, dictating how people should look. All this crap has been drawn up and just makes people doubt themselves, forcing themselves into an unhealthy diet and leading to eating disorders and mental illnesses.

Research done in 2014 by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine concludes that subjects who spend most of their time checking and using social media each day have more than double times the risk of developing an eating disorder. The study involved 1765 American adults, they were asked to answer a series of questions describing their social media usage. This study showed that teenagers and even adults are encountering these problems of making sure they look “ideal” though increased uses of social media.

Social media isn’t the most realistic view of someone’s life, we are aware that most social media influences touch up their photos. Using Photoshop to alter their appearance just because they want more likes and comments. This leads to many believe they have to look fake for validation.

Teenagers now are subjected to so much peer pressure, having to look pretty because standards are set so high. Many go to school not feeling like themselves, they put on a mask that hid themselves behind makeup and other products because of all these ridiculous standards set by influences.

Numbers are what everything is about, the number of Instagram likes, how many twitter followers you have, and whether or not you get 1000s of likes on Facebook. We have grown into the state of believing what we see on our phones. We do not take into account how much some people edit their photos just to feel better about themselves just because they think that is what they need to feel pretty.

Be yourself instead of trying to impress others. No matter what, if they are going to judge you for being yourself, they aren’t worth keeping.

Not only are we comparing our physical appearance, we compare emotional strength and intellect. Why do we do this? Because of insecurities, our generation is much more impacted because of the development of technology making it so much easier to beat yourself up for not being the best.

Just because someone is getting a better grade than you, or have a higher pay at the moment, doesn’t mean you wouldn’t have as good of a life as they do. Things change, people’s lives aren’t a linear relationship, the process isn’t a straight line, everyone has their bumps and turns. If you just keep improving yourself and stop having the numbers be what defines you, you are going to make it out their one day.

We need to understand that we can’t control other people’s opinions, they can think whatever they want and you can’t change anything. You try to make sure the people around you like you but at the end of the day, if they don’t like you as your real self, they don’t like you. Unfortunately, this would be the time where you should cut off all ties with them, they aren’t your real friends. Friends don’t compare you to others, they support you, not discourage.

Jealousy is dangerous. Don’t let others indicate the way you live. You should start focusing on improving yourself.

The first person you should think of at the start of the day is you. Not what others think about you, you are perfect the way you are. Rather than comparing to others, compare yourself to the person you were yesterday, a week or a month ago. See the improvement over time and not how you are doing compared to others.

After all life is a game, but in your life, you’re in control. Being yourself is the only you can do better than anyone else. Being you is truly the only thing you can be the best at doing.