Seeking validation through social media

Hi !

From the title, yall already know it's gonna be one heck of a heavy topic here again. But when was i ever light right ? HAHA

I think, this is a serious problem nowadays, not just with other people, but with myself too. Social media which is only supposed to be a tool used by us for a certain purpose, maybe reconnecting, maybe gaining knowledge or motivation. But when social media does not give you benefit, its not a tool being used by a user anymore, but the tool is using it's user, to stay on it, to view it, and waste time endlessly on it.

That is already in itself detrimental as wasting time with no point and no purpose doesn't get you anywhere. However, the most unhealthy yet very subtle habit that i never realized prior to today, is the act of seeking validation through social media. So many information is out in the open and available for us, however, in social media, it comes in snippets and short moments that don't really give any context.

Without the right mindset on social media, i think we keep seeking for information or quotes or pages that validates what we feel. On a different aspect, we post stuff on social media, to get validation, to get people to agree with us and accept the truth that we hold or believe in. Do you get where I'm getting here ?

Instead of trying to instill a healthy mindset of being enough, instead of working through whatever feelings or problems we feel, we take it to social media to find relatable posts, or to post and seek validation. I just realized how unhealthy and unhappy it made me feel. I'm not the type that post things that much anymore, but i do like to read and gain information which i recently realized is biased in a sense that it only validates my thoughts. validating thoughts alone is not entirely good because it reduces the use of my brain to actually think of all the possible perspectives and work things from a more mature and rational mind. Yes we cannot control everything, but being able to really sit down and think from every perspective including those around us and extract the best action that we can do within our capability to solve or face an issue would be more ideal than just to find a post that we relate with and believe we're right hence remaining stagnant at where we are.

Our purpose is to grow, because we are continuously evolving and everchanging, perfect is illogical, but wanting to better is where we want to be. Mere validations will stop us from improving ourselves. Sometime we have to accept that we too have weaknesses, or despite being right, i could do this a little bit better to help reduce the friction of this situation. As long as it is within our control, within our capabilities, why not try to be better right ?

i heard of a quote that sounded something like this

know enough to know that we have adequate knowledge, but also know enough, to know that we don't know it all.

Can you see the beauty in this quote, it embodies exactly how we can continuously grow, to know is knowing you know enough, and also not enough. knowledge is an endless well, to realize we will never know enough will help instill that thirst of always wanting to learn, to improve and to be better. Bonus point, it is also very grounding and humbling too.

Knowledge is too wide, knowledge on life, relationships, religion, work, field of interest, parents, family etc. It can be just about anything, understanding a situation from a friend's perspective is also knowledge. That's how close and minute a knowledge can be, it doesn't have to be vast and over the top like about the universe or astronomy, it can be as simple as understanding why you feel what you feel.

Remember that, and always take time off of everything, think things through with a clear and rational mind, seek truth, and seek knowledge. Do not seek validation from others. You validate yourself, for as long as you want to be better, you are enough, you are worthy, you are amazing.