The Cost of Conforming
At what point did I start caring so much? What happened to the blissfulness of living without worrying about my image? When did I let my peers,’ opinions outweigh my own? Why is it that I seek outward validation instead of looking inward? A plethora of questions like these have been circling my mind in recent months. I know we are no strangers to thoughts like these, ideas that quietly plague us when we become too aware of how we are perceived. It is human nature to want connection and to want to be liked, and there is nothing inherently wrong with that level of self-awareness. However, when that desire begins to compromise individuality, it becomes something worth questioning. I could sit here and write endlessly about how I lost my individuality or how I lacked the confidence to fully stand in who I was. But the past is the past. I can replay old decisions and regret them all I want, but that does not change where I am now. What does matter is recognizing the pattern and choosing t...