Beyond Expectations : The Effects of Societal Pressure

The four causes of societal pressure are fitting criteria such as financial status, social media validation, pressure to outperform, and fear of judgement of others. Society is lying to itself. The amount of people who have to put up a "front" to fit into such a standard is almost concerning. The expectation to meet societal norms is one key factor that can shape people's behavior. The way people act can be influenced by other people's views on how things should be. As time passes by generations norms seem stagnant but with minor changes.

The first point I'll bring up to you is maintaining a image where financial status means a lot. Many people are insecure about their financial status so they improvise their own deceived image of people. For example, "flexing" is a popular trend people do so they can show the world they "got it". People feel the need to prove themselves to other people by flashing expensive cars and designer clothes. I believe it takes a lot of strength to keep up with a image that isn't a true reality. In my own opinion living to your truth seems more manageable than living a lie.

The second thing I can express to you is the need of social media validation. Many people are insecure about the way they look. They may seek outside attention to feed their security. Social media can be a way of feeding their ego as well. For example receiving many likes and comments may be their source of gratification. It's the fact that people notice them can be important to them. Internet validation is not a healthy source of confidence . The more you seek it the more you rely on that for validation. The true reality is "self love" doesn't come from Instagram likes, it comes from your sense of purpose. Artificial and temporary validation is unsustainable. The real approval comes from the security and the sense of belief of yourself.

I feel like one common societal issue is the pressure to outperform others. I believe that some people are in a race or a competition to "beat" other's accomplishments. I can sense that their may be a comparison problem. For example, I make x amount of money but Joe makes more. It's always a race to see who is better in life. I don't apply this to everyone's perspective. In my own observation, I've seen this first hand. I can see that jealousy or envy can be a result of this problem. Some people are focused on other peoples lives and don't see their own success. Life is not a race to someone else's finish line. It's the approval of your own life and if you're satisfied with it.

People sometimes care about how people view them. The destruction that can have on them is terrifying. The more you care about what people think the more your life isn't yours. Letting people rent space in your mind is detrimental to your own goals and success. The less you care about people's opinions the more you can control the trajectory of your life. Nobody else is living your life so why would it matter what someone thinks.

Overall, these issues all mesh together into commonality. The connection in all these issues is a person's security, confidence, and approval. The more we look outward the more we will fail. If we look inward at what we need to work on the more we won't seek outside attention. The constant praise from temporary sources won't make you feel satisfied. My question to you is will you feel content with your life when you let go of all these setbacks? The choice is yours to create a life worth living without society leading it.