QuoraED! This is when we pick up a trending or interesting thread from Quora and spin a story around it.
We all wanted to grow up when we were little. There were a LOT of restrictions on us due to our age. We were expected to behave in a certain way, be understanding. A set of rules and social conditioning were imposed upon us by our family and friends.
Being the naive younglings that we were, we believed in a lot of things our parents told us like “Don’t talk to that kid, he is not like you“, “You must excel in everything you do” etc.
The more educated we get, the more we see the world around us more clearly, the more mature we become in our thought process. We begin to admit our wrongdoings or wrong judgement.
Here are some things most of us were wrong about when we were young but realized them later –
Criticism Is Not Always Negative
We were told and taught to do something well from a very tender age. If we couldn’t do something right, we almost always met with harsh criticism. The tendency to compare the children to someone else’s gave rise to the phenomenon of “Sharmaji ka beta”.
Since we were harshly criticised, it takes a while for us to digest the fact that criticisms could be productive and constructive as well.
When someone is criticising us, it doesn’t always mean that he/she/they are bashing us. We need to understand the basic difference between constructive and destructive criticism through our intellect.
After we grow up, we learn how to take criticisms positively and more productively and teach others how to do the same.
Physical Beauty Is Only Skin Deep
In our childhood, constant comparison between who is pretty and who is not gives us the pretence that it is “okay” to judge someone based on their looks and appearance. We all have done it at one point in our lives.
Our families too have been conditioning us into believing that all will be well if we look good.
Sometimes impressions do indeed matter but we realize that a pleasing appearance is NEVER a guide to one’s true self and vice versa.
An intellectual mind is always preferred to a pretty face because beauty dies out.
Read More – QuoraED: How To Enjoy Life As An Introvert
Forgive But Never Forget
Forgiveness is a virtue but never use it for those who don’t deserve it, even though our parents might have told us otherwise.
People get on our nerves, do harmful things and then come up to us with a ‘sorry’. Sorry is not always good enough. Sorry is NOT an armour to justify one’s deeds.
Yet, do forgive people because you don’t need such emotional burdens weighing you down, nor do you need such negativity but never forget what people have done to you. The more you remember, the less are the chances of future pain.
Work Smart
Hard work can never be replaced. Yet, as we grow up we tend to ignore this fact.
Well, as much as we like to procrastinate and delay things, we realize when to act and how to conjure things up at the last minute.
The irony is, we work smart and timely only when it is too late!
Be There For Yourself
Last but not the least, we learn to put ourselves first. In a society where your parents are constantly in the anxiety of “Log kya kahenge (What will others say?)”, we are never really taught to put ourselves first.
For the first 10-15 years of our lives, we more or less do what is expected of us or what we are told to do. In a way, we never truly learn to live on our own.
So inherently, it becomes hard for us to put ourselves first. We are so busy doing what the people tell us to do or being there for others, we forget to be there for ourselves.
At the end of the day, it is ourselves that counts. Only our one true self will be there for us. As soon as we realize this, we start caring for ourselves.
No matter what people will say, embrace yourself for who you are. Let go of the toxicity because life is much more than negative thoughts. The negativity only hinders our personal growth at the end of the day.
Put yourself first. Do whatever you want to do and don’t let others bring you down. Self-care and intellectual enrichment matter!
Source – Quora
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Also Read –
QuoraED: How Can I Let Go Of Things That Hurt Me Emotionally?
