The Lies Culture Tells Us
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Find true happiness, not what culture says is happiness.
Note: I am writing this to provoke thought. By no means is anything in this article absolutely true.
I’ve been lied to. You have too.
Lies are prevalent in western culture. They have to be.
It’s these very lies that keep the economy growing, the people wanting, and the environment degrading. Lies are at the heart of western culture.
Am I missing any?
The romantic lie: I will be happier once I find the perfect partner with whom to share romantic, exquisite experiences.
The social media lie: I will be happier by sharing my life with my ‘friends’ on the internet.
The materialism lie: I will be happier once I have the items, house, and toys I desire.
The individualism lie: I will be happier so long as I continue to achieve great things, become more independent, and get ahead of the herd.
The parenthood lie: I will be happier by starting a family with children. (Lot’s of data against this one)
The alcohol lie: I will have more fun and enrich my relationships when I consume alcohol.
Questionable Lies
The status lie: I will be happier once I appear high-status to my peers.
The beauty lie: I will be happier once I think and feel attractive in my body.
I label these as questionable, because the need to be respected and valued by your peers is human nature. There’s also a lot of data on beauty as a predictor of self-esteem and mental health.
Note: All the lies are suspect. They may not apply to the 3rd world. I am not a guru.
Wherever you are, there you are.
You can achieve all these conditions. But they won’t fundamentally upgrade your mind. Your attitude and your psychological patterns will remain unchanged.
Your quality of life is determined by your psychology. Not the external world. Your psychology is what determines whether the external world creates a sense of subjective well-being in your body. Your psychology is the translator, the filter.
For this reason, I call them lies.
When you don’t upgrade your patterns, you are left with the same mind — an insufferable, negative threat-detection and status-seeking system.
Final Recommendation
Spend more time upgrading your psychology.
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Thanks for upgrading yourself,
— Jacques, The Chief Connection Scientist
