The Threats in Modern Society
We live in an era where life is much safer than it used to be. The threats of being hunted down by an animal or getting killed in a war are close to zero. Not only has the average life expectancy of humans improved, our lives are immensely simplified by technology. Thanks to the tech revolutions in recent decades, most people live in a world with an abundance of everything. We've managed to pack more calories into a cookie than our ancestors would eat on most days. The risks of dying from obesity far outweigh those of dying from hunger. On a general level, we live in a safe world—safer than ever before. And yet, our primal instincts seek more safety. But what safety are we seeking?
As social animals, we all seek safety in society. From an evolutionary standpoint, our tendency to live in harmony with society is expected. Because tribes kept us safe—the bigger a group, the greater its chances of its survival. So our lives were always harmonised with those of our society, and it required us to live within constraints of varying degrees. To survive in a society, the primal need was to cooperate and operate within the norms and constraints of the society one lived in. To live with an individualistic mindset would increase the odds of being thrown out of the tribe.
What might modern threats be?
However, the meaning of society has shifted in recent years, especially with the advent of 'social media'. Social media is the new society. As much as it has simplified things, it's popped up new challenges of seeking social validation from people we don't even know. Society, which once comprised a big family or a tribe, now consists of the people one is connected with on social media. And the validation comes in the form of red heart emojis, which have far less relevance in reality. We are made to believe that more validation means more power. While seeking social approval comes to us instinctively, there's only so much our mind can handle. If the social group is not defined, or too broadly defined, we end up living our lives to please that group. And more often than not, the group isn't even well defined. It keeps on changing, and so does the trajectory of our lives. If all we chase in life is 'what's trending', our lives could end up as a series of unrelated trends instead of meaningful stories with chapters that build on one another.
The outer vs the inner guides
Although we could spend our lives safely following random trends, I'd argue we can do much better than that. A better path is to find or define the meaning of our lives. To build a story out of authenticity, not for the sake of pleasing others. And to be authentic requires us to listen to the inner voice, which, perhaps, is the most powerful guiding force for us humans. There are several ways to cultivate that, some of which I have yet to try or even discover. One of the most tried and tested ways is meditation. Journaling and therapy could be others. They all work for me and I've tried them in intervals, sticking mostly with journaling. That said, one doesn't have to follow one of these practices. There are many tools out there and whatever helps you slow down your thoughts and listen to your intuition is a good way to go. Maybe you end up finding your own way of doing that.
Why is listening to our inner voice important?
Well, from a spiritual standpoint, I believe it's one of the most crucial things to help us make decisions. Our lives are shaped by our actions, which are a result of a series of decisions—decisions ranging from small ones like, what to eat, to some of the key decisions, like choosing a life partner. Of course, we don't need the spirit to guide us on every little thing. But for bigger decisions— those that shape our peace and fulfilment for most of our lives—we would want to rely on our spiritual compass rather than what's 'trending'.
For the more rational friends out there who consider spirituality a 'wishi washi', the reason to train the authenticity muscle could be to safeguard themselves from AI. We live in an age where most of the things that can be duplicated get automated, thanks to the advancements since the industrial revolution. Not long ago, the assembly line took over most of the manual work which was repetitive, and we can see the same patterns with AI. Whether we like it or not, work that can be automated will be automated, as humans have been moving in that direction for decades, for good or bad. The question is—if what we are doing today can be automated, what is it that can't? Unless the answer is obvious: 'authenticity'. As Naval famously put it, "No one can compete with you on being you. Most of life is a search for who and what needs you the most."
That being said, listening to oneself doesn't mean we get to violate the norms of society, or rebel against group beliefs. That's foolishness. By doing that, we'd force ourselves to become someone we don't need to be, just for the sake of uniqueness. We have thrived as a society for centuries, if not millennia. And we can still operate within the norms of society, living harmoniously while striving to find our uniqueness or authenticity. I believe each of us has a unique role to play. I am on a quest to find mine. What are your thoughts about your journey?