I know an ex-civil servant, who joined three political parties with diametrically opposite ideologies, to end up in one of the highest positions in government.
So why do people do that? Do their political convictions change so fast? Are they so desperate ‘to serve the people’ by occupying some high position?
None of that.
They are chasing power, from which flows massive social validation and the submissive deference that people around you show you.
But how is it that different from the social validation a teenager seeks on Instagram? Not much really.
All human beings want social validation – it is wired into our DNA. But when we are solely driven by external validation, we lose something precious – our inner compass. We lose our inner independence and start chasing what others expect us to chase.
The result is misery, conflict, and a wasted life.
To overcome the tyranny of external validation, there is only one antidote – find your inner conviction. Find what truly matters to you, not what ought to matter according to others.
Do the work you find meaningful. Take pride in your ability, not your possessions. Do the right things, even if occasionally, there is some price to pay.
All this is hard and can often take a lifetime. But we do have a lifetime, don’t we?
– Rajan