Be wary of organizations that reward the wrong things. If you spend a lot of time around people that praise perfectionism, high GPAs, outrageous consumption and overworking yourself, you’re going to start to value those things.
The social nature of our species is a blessing and a curse. I was at an awards ceremony recently and seeing so many other people win awards made me want one! Then I thought about what it would take to win those awards, and I had no interest. That isn’t the person I wanted to be. Yet, I was seduced by the atmosphere of coming together to celebrate those that were particularly good at following the rules and being perfect.
The only two solutions I have to this problem are awareness and avoidance. Be aware of environments that celebrate the wrong things and avoid situations like it when possible. Know your values and you’ll end up with happiness beyond what an award could ever bring.
Leave a Reply