101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think

by Brianna Wiest

Every generation has a “monoculture” of sorts, a governing pattern or system of beliefs that people unconsciously accept as “truth.”

So much of our inner turmoil is the result of conducting a life we don’t inherently desire, only because we have accepted an inner narrative of “normal” and “ideal” without ever realizing.

Because we’re wired to believe that success is somewhere we get to—when goals are accomplished and things are completed—we’re constantly measuring our present moments by how “finished” they are, how good the story sounds, how someone else would judge the elevator speech.

Accomplishing goals is not success. How much you expand in the process is.

The main thing socially intelligent people understand is that your relationship to everyone else is an extension of your relationship to yourself.