We all want to matter in life, to be noticed, to be admired (even envied) by others.
All the more for millennials, a topic that we often broach upon in our emails
When the kids seeks attention from their parents, they reciprocate, pay attention and applaud
When they grow into adults, the insecurities increase.
- Abhishek’s wife is more beautiful than mine.
- Vivek has a better career progression than mine.
- Shruti just took an amazing New Zealand trip. Look at her Facebook posts. Just amazing
The likes on Facebook and Instagram act as self-esteem drug, source of that momentary surge in dopamine in the brain.
On those pics, we use filters to edit away our pimples, our fat. In a way, we edit away our insecurities, criticisms and that part of ourselves that we aren’t so proud of.
This attention seeking behaviour on social media has taken us away from real sources of joy. Remember the last time you played carom, UNO, Ludo and Chess with your near and dear ones (a rage in the 90s when we grew up). In those interactions, there was oxytocin that emerged from proximate interactions – looking in the eye, patting on the back, talking and enjoying the conversation.
In Face-to-Face versus the Virtual Reality, the former scores high on any given day.
You can’t fake disapproval when you are meeting one, something that you can easily do on WhatsApp and emails.
Internet and social media, come with their own share of advantages, but only if used judiciously, with a sense of Digital Dispassion
There will always be someone better looking, more talented, more successful or with more likes.
So what?
We matter to our families, partners, children, and close friends. As also the random ones we help in our lives.
It’s ok not to be a celebrity
Same for organisations. There will always be people who have been able to grab the headlines. The ones who grab the Young Achiever Awards (Yes; that does stir up a hornets’ nest. Why he? Why not me)
Remember that Fame and success can become their own kind of imprisonment
As the popular tweet yesterday by T Life @tree_of_life
Over the years ET Award winners have lost their jobs quickly or sacked
1 Binny Bansal
2 Chanda Kochar
3 Rana Kapoor
4 Nikesh Arora
5 Anshu Jain
6 Vikram Pandit
7 Shree Renuka Sugar*
More winners this weekend!
Life as well as people often borders on being capricious. Suddenly, it’s a 52 week high. Suddenly a 52 week low
For every newsletter I write, there are people who are all praises and then ones, who are infuriated – please unsubscribe
There’s generally no rhyme or reason to it
That’s ok, ..Isn’t it
The real life, with all its vicissitudes
So, it’s important to focus on the real world, the real work and try to find your mojo there.
What’s your view ?