Popularity. The single world can conjure memories of vehemently trying to fit in, or maintaining a social hierarchy if you were in that supposedly elite level.
And I get it. It's hard.
It's hard to see beyond those wild parties that deem your worth in school. It's also difficult to stop pondering your place in the social pyramid. We all want to be accepted, but the real danger is when we equate popularity with happiness. The two, as I am about to explain, are not the same.
Teachers, parents and others alike try to deter us from changing our unique selves, our idiosyncrasies, to conform to society's expectations. Yet we all struggle with wanting to fit in. Sadly, the culture we live in encourages exclusivity by praising a small group of individuals who are mistakenly painted to embody an intangible ideal. A precise ideal that prompts judgemental looks, hateful comments and an unhealthy desire to achieve self satisfaction through a number of likes.
Friends, the truth is, popularity is a facade. It's a mask of society's flaws; a definition that we can break as easily as we built it. There are no winners when it comes to popularity. The upper echelon, the ones you consider popular, no doubt feel pressure to maintain appearances and fulfil society's misguided understanding of importance and happiness. This is pressure they do not deserve. Those seeking it, well they have as much pressure to change themselves to fit into a mould that is better off broken.
What's more, who even decides who gets to be popular? Is it inherent, is it the sportiest ones, or the most attractive? Why can't it be the opposite- the ones who love to read, or sing, or cook? Popularity is porous- there is no clarity because it's ambiguous and made to be punctured.
After school, in 20 years' time, are we going to look back on high school and think of every moment we wished we were popular?
No.
More precisely we will take the friendships we have developed and the knowledge we gained. We will remember the happy moments, and maybe only then will we realise those moments had nothing to do with what others made of us but how we felt about ourselves.
Maybe then we will finally realise that happiness is internal, from within, 100% a choice you make about yourself. And hopefully it becomes painfully clear, at last, that the ONLY thing those popular kids had that others may have lacked was confidence - whether real or put on, they owned their coveted spots on the top of that pyramid.
Striving for popularity diminishes you. It degrades your worth and what makes you inherently special. Frankly, society has it wrong when it worships popularity. Instead, we should embrace individuality. Think about the dynamics of the world- cultures and beliefs vary greatly across the globe. There is a naturalness in that, a discrepancy that has always existed. The very world is different, so naturally humans are going to be. Why fight an order that exists all around us?
YOU ARE READING
Positive Thoughts, Positive Life
Spiritual"This year, keep it simple. Happiness is what we seek most." If you're feeling down and seeking inspiration through words that resonate with you, this book has you covered. In the hectic nature of life, the allure of nature and wisdom of spoken word...
