Growing up, one of the things I noticed was that people believed a lot in maintaining a good reputation. You always had to present yourself in a certain way so that people would think well of you. You should either fit in or stand out. To live up to what you believe people think of you or be of a higher standard compared to what people expect.
This way of thinking has gotten worse today because of social media. Today, people put so much value on one's image in society. One’s image online has become something that is not only scrutinized but has also become a form of currency.
There is so much pressure involved in this. Whatever pressure people had to live up to one’s reputation is worse today. We see that with how so many are having mental health issues trying to keep up (or surpass) others on social media. It's a tiring, mentally jarring process...if you allow it to be.
The lengths people go to live up to a certain standard or reputation is insane. I’ve read about “influencers” who rent fancy cars or homes to be able to show a glamorous lifestyle online. I have even seen a business that rents out sets for them to use. One even looks like a private jet that people can use to pretend that they are on one!
The situation can get crazy sometimes. Some even write to businesses for free things in exchange for publicity. It allows people to flaunt a certain lifestyle without spending anything on it. I know that many people do this for a living, and I am not against it based on that perspective. But if they are projecting it to show that they live a certain way (when it was in fact for free). It is a bit troubling.
It is this concern for reputation and people’s opinions that had me on the fence as a blogger. Do I create or write based on what I want people to think of me or what their opinions may be of me? Or do I do it for myself based on what I want? And given that, what exactly do I want anyway?
Today, I have a separate blog where I write about products, services, and entertainment. It’s not about living a certain lifestyle but more about sharing things that I love and enjoy. But there are times when I find myself writing based on what other people might want and I’m not happy about that. I often take a step back when that happens. It makes me think that I am letting this pressure to maintain a certain image take over what I want for my blog. And that I am allowing my perception of what others would think to take over the creative process.
The reason I made this blog/website is because of that. The concern about living up to the expectations of others. I created this space without informing most of the people I know about it. Only a handful of friends know that this exists. I even have separate social media accounts for it just to be safe. It’s my way of finding my space and who I am beyond what people know and expect from me.
It’s hard, but I am trying my best to live my life without worrying about what others would think about me. And without worrying about what reputation I present to other people. I want to be able to live my life on my terms. Based on what I want and who I am and not what people expect me to be.
Since I started to make the effort, I realized that I still need to learn more about myself. I need to get to know myself better. To figure out who I am beyond the person I have become. Someone affected by the expectations of other people. Or at least my perception of them. It’s a process. And I am still in it. But the point is I am trying.
I hope we can all try to live in a way that does not involve being too concerned about what other people think of us. It’s not about wanting to blend in or to stand out. It’s about being who we are as individuals. Being the unique beings that we are. I’m not saying that we should throw all caution to the wind and live recklessly. I don’t encourage anything that involves any form of negativity.
At the end of the day, it's all about trying to become the most honest version of ourselves. Someone not influenced by our concerns about reputation and other people's opinions. And to be honest, I don't even think other people think about us as much as we assume they do. I do hope we can all try to live in a way that is true to ourselves, the best version of ourselves anyway.
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