Why Do We Feel the Need to Show Everyone That We Are Doing Well?

Why Do We Feel the Need to Show Everyone That We Are Doing Well?

There is something interesting about the way we live today.

When things are going well, we often want people to know.

A new phone? Take a picture.

A new car? Post it.

A nice restaurant? Take a picture before eating.

A trip? Share the location.

A new business? Announce it.

Even ordinary moments can become content for social media.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with celebrating your achievements. You worked for something, you're happy about it, and you want to share that happiness.

But sometimes I wonder whether we're sharing because we're genuinely happy—or because we want other people to see that we're happy.

Social Media Changed the Way We Show Success

Years ago, if someone bought a new car, perhaps their neighbours would eventually notice.

Today, one new car can produce several posts.

A photograph from the front.

Another beside the car.

A video of the interior.

A motivational caption.

Then congratulations from hundreds of people.

Social media has made it incredibly easy to broadcast our lives.

And because everyone else is doing it, it can begin to feel normal.

The problem starts when showing success becomes more important than actually experiencing it.

Sometimes We Are Comparing Without Realizing It

You open Instagram or TikTok for five minutes.

Someone has bought a house.

Someone has travelled abroad.

Someone just got married.

Someone launched a business.

Someone is celebrating an achievement.

Someone appears to have everything figured out.

Then you look at your own life.

Suddenly, your progress doesn't feel like progress anymore.

You start wondering:

“What am I doing with my life?”

But there's something we forget.

You're comparing your ordinary moments with someone else's highlight reel.

You don't see their unsuccessful business idea.

You don't see the debt.

You don't see the arguments.

You don't see the failed applications.

You don't see the nights they were worried.

You see the photograph.

And a photograph can tell a very incomplete story.

Not Everyone Who Looks Successful Is Financially Comfortable

This is particularly important when it comes to money.

Someone can look extremely wealthy online and still be struggling financially behind the scenes.

A person can borrow a car for a photoshoot.

Someone can wear expensive clothes occasionally.

Someone can spend money they really shouldn't be spending simply to maintain an image.

And sometimes people aren't even deliberately pretending.

They may simply be showing you the best parts of their lives.

The danger comes when viewers assume those moments represent the person's entire financial situation.

They don't.

There Is Nothing Wrong With Wanting Nice Things

This isn't an argument against ambition.

Wanting a better car, a comfortable home, good clothes, travel, or financial success isn't something to be ashamed of.

In fact, ambition can push people to work harder and build better lives.

The question is:

Are you pursuing these things because they genuinely matter to you, or because you want people to admire you?

That's a very different motivation.

If nobody could see your new car, would you still want it?

If nobody knew about your business success, would you still be proud of it?

If you couldn't post your holiday online, would you still enjoy the trip?

Your answers can tell you something about what actually motivates you.

Privacy Has Its Own Kind of Peace

Not everything needs to be public.

There is a certain peace that comes from having parts of your life that belong only to you.

Maybe you achieved something you've worked toward for years.

You don't necessarily have to announce it immediately.

Maybe you're building a business.

You don't need to tell everyone every detail before you've even started.

Maybe you're saving money.

You don't need to explain your financial plans to everybody.

Maybe you're in a relationship.

Not every beautiful moment needs an audience.

Sometimes keeping something private doesn't mean you're ashamed of it.

It simply means it's yours.

Success Doesn't Need an Audience

One of the most valuable things I've learned is that an achievement doesn't become more valuable because more people know about it.

If you finally reach a goal after years of hard work, the achievement is still meaningful even if nobody else sees it.

You know what it took.

You know the sacrifices.

You know the difficult days.

You know how many times you wanted to give up.

That knowledge belongs to you.

The applause is nice, but it isn't the achievement itself.

We Should Also Learn to Celebrate Other People

There's another side to this conversation.

If someone genuinely enjoys sharing their success, let them enjoy it.

Not every successful person is showing off.

Sometimes people simply feel proud and want to celebrate with friends and family.

We shouldn't automatically assume bad intentions.

Instead of becoming bitter when someone succeeds, we can say:

“Good for them. My own time will come.”

Someone else's progress doesn't reduce your own possibilities.

Life isn't a single race where only one person can win.

You Don't Have to Prove That You're Doing Well

This is probably the biggest point.

You don't have to convince everyone that your life is going perfectly.

Some seasons of life are about building.

Some are about recovering.

Some are about learning.

Some are about starting again.

And not every season will look impressive from the outside.

That's okay.

You can be working quietly.

You can be saving quietly.

You can be learning quietly.

You can be building something nobody understands yet.

And eventually, the results will speak for themselves.

My Opinion

I think social media has made us place too much importance on being seen.

We're sometimes more concerned about how our lives look than how they actually feel.

We want the picture.

We want the comments.

We want the congratulations.

We want people to say, “You've made it.”

But real success is much deeper than that.

It's being able to sleep peacefully.

It's taking care of your responsibilities.

It's having people you can trust.

It's having skills that nobody can take away from you.

It's being proud of the person you've become when there is no camera around.

Final Thoughts

There's nothing wrong with sharing your happiness.

There's nothing wrong with celebrating your achievements.

There's nothing wrong with wanting a better life.

Just don't allow the desire to impress people to become more important than the life you're actually building.

You don't have to prove that you're doing well.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is put the phone down, enjoy your progress, and keep working.

Let people discover your success when the time is right.

And if nobody notices?

That's okay too.

Your life is still your life, even when nobody is watching.

This article is part of MrPsquare.com's Culture & Opinion section.