How often have you felt addicted to being, doing, and having “more”? To fill the need to be worthy, successful, or more awakened? All fuelled by the feeling that deep down, what you do, what you say, and who you are is “not good enough”?
This pressure to be “more” is only made worse by social media. It’s amplified 1,000-fold by the hyperconnectivity we experience day and night: notifications, pings, follows, likes, follows, comments, and the endless stream of filler content cluttering our screens and lives.
Before we know it, we’re stuck on the self-improvement treadmill fueled by FOMO (fear of missing out) and toxic comparison (“I suck compared to them”). All of this creates deep self-alienation and disconnection from ourselves.
Soul Work Compass Course:
Feeling lost or disconnected? The Soul Work Compass guides you through a 12-lesson alchemical journey to transform emptiness into clarity and deep self-insight. Create your personal compass to navigate life with clarity, freedom, and soul-aligned direction. Start your Great Work today!
I feel this almost every time I go on social media. And it’s so automatic and subtle.
I recently entered the social media arena again after a 4-month hiatus as a way of finding more readers to support this work. Let me tell you, it’s chaos out there.
Within the space of 30 seconds, it’s not uncommon to see 7-8 ads, aspirational quotes, rage bait, beautiful people doing perfect yoga, dancing cats, aspirational memes, mala bead-wearing men making green smoothies, videos of people in exotic destinations … the list goes on.
The lesson here? Novelty sells. Negativity sells. “Be more than what you are” sells.
Simplicity and plainness don’t. It’s uncool, daggy, boring. This, in part, is why I believe we fear our own simplicity. We want to be loved and validated and interesting.
But what if we do a 360-degree turn and look at this differently?
What if living a “boring” and “simple” life is the antidote to a lot of our suffering and self-alienation?
In Nietzsche’s Zarathustra: Notes of the Seminar Given in 1934–1939, renowned psychiatrist (and let’s face it, mystic) Carl Jung says something powerful,
Want to get LonerWolf at the top of your Google search results?
Most people cannot bear simplicity. There are many simple and modest individuals who would be fine if they could be who they are, but they believe they should be something better, that they are not quite good enough; and so they begin to deck themselves out with feathers and whatnot to be great and astonishing. But they are only astonishing when they are simple.
Sounds like a scathing commentary and diagnosis of today’s social landscape, eh?
What I find particularly deep is the last line: they are only astonishing when they are simple.
We’re biologically wired to imitate each other to belong. Hence why places like social media are so addictive. Why “keeping up with the Joneses” is a thing.
But the one who chooses to stay simple, to be okay with their plainness, with their unadorned and bare self, is a true gem. That is what’s astonishing.
Simplicity is honesty. It is the most truthful way to be because you’re not adding anything to yourself. You’re defying society’s message to “do, be, and have more.” You’re defending your right to be your imperfect, flawed, sometimes boring, you.
It’s pretty damn punk if you ask me.
So this is a gentle message today, reminding you (and reminding myself), that it’s okay to be plain and simple. You don’t need to add anything to yourself to be lovable.
You are worthy just as you are.
Related reads:
- 8 Mindfulness Exercises For Anxious/Depressed Minds
- How to Love Yourself (No Bullsh*t Guide)
- How to Find Inner Peace in the Chaos (12 Deep Paths)
Whenever you feel the call, there are 2 ways I can help you:
1. The Soul Work Compass Course: Ready for deep transformation without the fluff? The Soul Work Compass provides a step-by-step path to finding your inner truth and life direction. Heal core wounds, clarify your values, and walk away with a concrete guide for living. Get started now!
2. The Inner Work Journal Bundle: Stop surface-level healing. Dive into the depths with 150+ journaling prompts designed to help you face your demons, heal childhood wounds, and embrace your shadow. Three sacred journals, lifetime access, print as many times as you need. Real transformation starts here.
I tried to drown my Ego in booze and cannabis, but the bloody thing still survives into my dotage to give me karmic hell for my rebel years.
I was self-sabotaging because I had no understanding of who I was, and I just felt trapped in life’s circumstances with much inner pain.
I have since forgiven myself and others and set my inner sales of acceptance to who and what I have become.
Inner acceptance is key, thank you for sharing this John :)
I cannot help being stuck, simple, and plain. Because I am me, and not anyone else. (special)
When you have an early childhood accident, you still believe your ok and can still fix it to fit in social norms. But as you age and become more authentic, the shiny archetype dims to the true reality of what you’re capable of and where you fit into the slot mold life created for you (a round peg in a square hole). That is why acceptance of DSP, Homeless, and other different peoples are so very important to spiritual and life growth. To be believed and accepted is stage one of being loved and accepted.
“To be believed and accepted is stage one of being loved and accepted.” Well said 💜
this also applies to tv shows and movies we grow up watching. it gives us this perception of life that is false and exaggerated, makes people believe that there should be more to life when really theres not.
I agree, Brianna, and also now social media has that impact too!
Thank you , once again for articulating the ‘hidden’ feelings , that are often overlooked
I really value your work and words, very much appreciated
Thanks Sara.
What a wonderful message! It reminds me of being just one of the kids in the neighborhood, we all had bikes and we wondered the neighborhood playing different games and we were all friends not competing just having fun. Sometimes just riding sheets of cardboard down a steep grassy hill over and over again in the summer and the our sleds in the winter.
Ah the beauty and innocence of youth – making do with what you have and the ordinary objects around you
Absolutely! Recently stopped watching TV. I can now actually hear myself think, and I like it! It’s peaceful and my soul is relaxing and breathing! I sleep better and wake up ready to go. I feel more alive. What took me so long? I always knew it was a good idea. Habit energy is so insidious.
I’m glad you feel more free now San
I really loved this post and it came at the perfect time. I haven’t had social media for quite some time and it really helps me. Everything in this article resonates and helps me appreciate myself more as a unique special person. Thank you
I’m glad to hear that Heather!
Hi,
If there is something I cannot stand anymore: Whatsapp group chats.
If I could choose ONE app to be gone from my life for good, I’d pick our green friend over there. *circles over its name**
Sadly,
Work and Uni makes it feel a little… useful when we talk about important stuff. Now for hobbies? Example: Collab / Creative Writing (uh-huh, shout-out to the roleplay buddies), in less than a hour there are 300+ new messages!
Just blah blah blah, jokes or sh!t hitting the fan. Like hellooooo is this a write your stuff and go or a gossip place?
I can’t help it but quote Radwa El Sherbiny: blocka blocka blocka.
Yeah, I get how aggravating it can be!
Facebook delivers posts in people’s feed based on their personal interests. I doesn’t always get it right. But you can train your feed to deliver what you want.
I’m not a fan of FB, but I’ve found it to be a useful to in fighting evil.
Something that I feel is VERY true, is that Agents of the Devine, such as yourselves, but those who are messengers, deliver messages via FB posts. A very simple post that struck me HARD was :
“What took you so long?”
I wept for days over that.
Another seemingly simple question,
“Who Do You Believe God is?
I’ve come to believe that God delivers messages through science. And social media is a product of science. Users just have to learn how to fine tune it.
Just like this stupid keyboard that keeps changing my words.
🤗😘
The concept of training the algorithms is an interesting idea, as it does put more power in our hands. It can also be used for good (as well as ill intentions), which is why we post on it. Ultimately I can’t be bothered spending too much of my personal time on it more than necessary and I’d prefer to read a book or go for a walk in nature instead. But to each their own!
🐦🙏❤️🌞🌻 Thank you
Thanks :)