One of the most complex subject matter that humans have to face is that of life. We are in a constant struggle to live life to the fullest and to live it right. Though our understanding of things often gives rise to a lot of misconceptions about life. From the time a child is born, he is brought up with beliefs, from that of his family to the society around. We never see things around from our own view but rather see it as a reflection as to how others have been viewing life. These misconceptions in life are what makes us so confused at a later stage and make us question our very being.
So, humans are susceptible to conditioning and hence instead of searching within they tend to look outside for tools to make life better. Living a life full of delusions and where elders have fractured your decision-making ability is where biggest misconception about life stem from.
We are always taught the difference between wrong and right where we are not given the understanding to differentiate between the two. Individuals are not taught to be self-reliant to make their own decisions rather fall back on the society to dictate them their terms to live a good life.
Misconception About Life
Has life really been how you were told it would be? If things were as simple as what we were told and feeling happy and fulfilled was something that came from seeking approval of the world, then most of you would have been deeply happy people. Instead, we generally clung to fall notions and ideologies. At times in our desperation, we even start looking up to great role models and try to emulate them. Although there is nothing wrong with that, we need to understand that they were normal people like us and after great soul searching they found their path and the motivation to walk on it. Every person is different and what works for one may not work for others. Life is not a module where you need to play by rules constantly. When we blindly follow all the great misconceptions of life, we generally reach a pinnacle where we fall flat on our back.
There is a quote by Steve Maraboli ‘The only thing that makes life unfair is the delusion that it should be fair’ really dissipates a great misconception on life.' Life is what it is and you need to understand the intricacies of action from your point of view rather from someone's borrowed perception.
Biggest Misconception About Life
We are filled with numerous misconceptions about life right from the time of our birth, and they just intensify with time. Some of the biggest misconceptions about life that we have are:
#1. It's Bad To Be Alone
Human is a social animal, and he needs to keep interacting with people, all the time. This is what he thrives on. If that is so then why do we keep craving for my time all the while and even being the biggest party animal look for those couple of hours of solace where our mind can relax. There is a difference between the two words; alone and loneliness. When you are lonely, you crave the presence of another person and this need makes you depressed whereas being alone is state of presence. When a person chooses that he or she wants to be alone or prefer being alone, it is because that silence is comforting for them. This is a natural state of being for those who are at peace and can not be understood by those are on a constant look out for an escape. One needs to remember that true soul searching happens in silence and a sensory overload is only going to harm your mind in the longer run.
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#2. Buying Things Makes Life Better
The market is flooded with gadgets and all the marketing strategies aimed at selling them is that these gadgets will make your life better. From the new iPhone to the Mac systems, we love flashing our brands and gadgets, though apart from momentarily satiating our need to gain attention, they don’t help us in any way. If you are a professional photographer who needs a good DSLR to click pictures then you then said gadget is helping you to pursue your passion. Though if you are a selfie obsessed person who lives life more on social media than the real world, then that gadget is just adding to your existing emptiness. An inanimate thing has never added meaning to any one’s life; it is a basic misconception of life.
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#3. There Is Right Way To Live Life
Another major misconception about life that we have is that there is a certain way to live it. If you live life the correct way then you will find a lot of happiness, and if you don’t then you are going to be unhappy. We wish life was that simpler, but it is not, you cannot form the basis of all your action on the approval of others. No certain path in life has to be picked by anyone if you deviate and choose your own path, it means that you have finally decided to steer your life in a certain direction rather than going with the flow. Everyone lives life with their own set of beliefs and principles, what appears right to you may not appear so to others. Hence there is no point in telling others that they there is a certain way to live life and to dictate their actions.
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#4. Relationships Last Forever
We have grown up hearing that we are going to be friends forever, but seldom does that ever happen. Though in our delusion we end up thinking that any bond that we form is going to last a lifetime, and when this doesn’t happen, it breaks our heart. The disappointment that we face again and again is all our doing as we live by that belief that everything in life is going to last a lifetime. There is no such thing as forever, and each relationship is different, depends on the person you have forged a bond with and how true your love is for each other.
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#5. Stay Ahead In The Rat Race
Many years from now when you are in the final stage of your life, you are not going to look back in fond memory of how many hours you spent each day on your computer systems. You are rather going to cherish the love you share with your family and friends and the memories you have formed with them. Life is not a rat race, and it is sad that the system that we are a part of functions that way. Everyone is in a mad rush to move ahead and in their haste to just move they seem to forget that life is meant to be lived. This misconception about life is reinforced since school days, and we are forced to be a part of the rat race and always stay ahead of both academically and in sports and extracurricular activities as well. Anyone who does not do so is considered a failure life, but that's a huge lie. A lot of people broke out of the rat race and became successful and happy pursuing what their heart was into. The definition of success is not limited to getting up in the morning, getting ready and then being a cubicle rat.
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#6. Your Soulmate Will Make Your Life Better
If you cannot make your life good then don’t pass on the burden to another person. Stop living with this misconception about life that someone else is going to make your life all the more special. Firstly every person who comes into your life is not going to be your soulmate, the first step to finding one is to discover your own soul that lies buried beneath under layers of beliefs and social conditioning. Your happiness is a by product of your own feeling, and in order to be truly happy, you need to learn to generate that happiness from within. Don’t ever depend on a person to walk into your life and fill it with happiness.
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#7. Work Hard Now And Have Fun Later
The biggest misconception on life that has been thrust upon us is that work hard now and reap the benefit later. This has been the case since school time when we were told to study hard so we could enjoy life later. Once we cleared our school and became adults, we were thrust with responsibilities and told to devote our lives to our jobs so we can live in our old age with comfort. Though if you are lucky enough to survive until that time, you have lost much of your gusto for life. So, work hard in life but don’t forget have lots of fun all the while.
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Are there any misconceptions about life that you have and in what way did they impact you? Share your experience and views using the comment box below.
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Seriously, we live with so many misconceptions as far as life is concerned. My family constantly narrated guidelines on how to live life perfectly, and it only made a living all the harder. You cannot live a life pleasing other people and you certainly cannot be happy living according to the rule books of your parents or your neighbors.The biggest misconception on life is how most people think that those who prefer to stay alone and don’t interact with each other are terribly lonely. The line of thought here is that you are not happy unless you have a happening life and your daily activities are splashed all over the social media.
I lived with a huge number of misconceptions about life and thought that in order to be happy you have to be materially fulfilled. You need to surround yourself with things that would make you feel immensely happy but what really happened is that I ended up losing interest in everything that I bought. The happiness they brought me was temporary and for a fleeting amount of time.
I was always chasing life, awaiting each day hoping this would turn out to be better than the next but the truth was that every day could be good only if you try to make it count. Otherwise, life is just going to pass you buy and you won’t be able to do anything about it. So my advice is that chuck this misconception of life that only those ahead in the rat race make it far, they instead end up becoming a shadow of their true self as all the years of their life have been dedicated to becoming something for the society.
Also, it's not wrong to be in a relationship but don’t base your life on it and don’t be under the delusion that only another man or woman is going to make your life better. This is just plain stupidity and this why most people waste away their life hoping that happiness is a by-product of a relationship.The society is also very instrumental in making us believe that we are incomplete on our own and we need another man or woman to make us feel better. Your problems won’t vanish on their own and if you cannot bring a change on your own then don’t expect others to bring it for you. The lesson that you finally learn is that your life is your own business and don't live it according to someone else’s whims and fantasies.Let go of all the misconceptions you have regarding life and just do things that make you happy.