Break Free from the Consumption-Comparison Trap
We receive so many messages and so much information every day when living in a technology-driven culture. Someone from across the world—someone you don’t even know—can have the potential to influence your thinking or shape how you feel. A lack of discernment and boundaries can bolster this potential and power. People are programmed to need validation and approval, to be open and connected 24/7, and to constantly compete and improve. This ‘internalized capitalism’ ensures that people are both active consumers and are consumable.
We are living in an age of content overload. From the moment you wake up to the moment your head hits the pillow, I bet you’re looking at your phone. Between work and in-between down time, people spend all their waking hours consuming content and media. The content stream is relentless. Emails, texts, pings, alerts, news feeds, video, social media…it doesn’t stop. Think for a second what that is doing to your brain. To your body. To your nervous system. It is in a constant state of stress. On high alert because at any moment you can receive a new message or request that you must immediately respond to. And in-between, your system is trying to catch up in processing and sorting through all of that information, trying to discern what is important and necessary for storage.
But most of consumable content and information is mind garbage. Useless, unimportant energy filling the mind and body, accumulating and creating greater density. People usually don’t ever have enough down time to properly sleep, rest, process, discharge waste, and regenerate. Living in a constant state of stress and depletion leads to a sped-up process of deterioration of the mind, spirit and body. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, spirituality (whatever you believe in or want to call it) is very much a health concern, and health is very much political.
So why do we feel that we must consume all of this content? Why do we actively participate in it consumption without proper discernment, boundaries and limitations? If you are born into society, you are programmed according to capitalistic values. Capitalism is the driving philosophy and foundation of our society. It values competition and productivity. This way of being is internalized within every domesticated human. Internalized capitalism programs us to compete to be a productive member of society. And to compete in society, you must be aware of the competition and the landscape. This ensures consumption of media and content. And our consumption of media and content is insatiable. But consuming more content does not necessarily equate to being better, more informed, more connected, or more powerful. It’s not in the quantity of information, but in the relevance and quality. And in this day and age, we have a lot of low quality content perpetuating false information, half-truths, and illusions, in the name of control.
People are also not only consuming content, but are also creating content. In the age of social media and personal branding, people have learned to commodify themselves for consumption. People have willingly and happily turned themselves into products on a digital shelf. Profiles become a ‘storefront’ to a person, and validation has turned into a form of currency. People focus their energy and time creating content in exchange for validation in the form of likes and followers. People have learned to simplify themselves in the name of a personal brand, and to conform themselves to what is commercially saleable in today’s market. Turning people into commercial robots, brainwashed to sell products on behalf of corporations, and serving to wring out any semblance of honest diversity in our world.
When we turn people into content, they become just like the rest of content. It’s a way of dehumanizing and over-simplifying people into ‘brands’, stereotypes, categories, and one-dimensional personas for advertising. And the sad part is that people willingly participate. Narrowly defining themselves within categories to simplify and clarify their personal brand. Altering and selling their bodies and faces, while touting messages of self-love. People have learned to flatten themselves into projections. Like what you see? Want more? As if digital personas could ever reflect and represent the dynamic nature of a human being.
The commoditization and dehumanization of people allows for judgement and comparison to be acceptable and commonplace behaviors in society. We don’t see each other as nuanced, dynamic human beings, and instead, as simplified caricatures and products to be consumed and managed. We treat each other as tools, deeming a person useful or not. This way of perceiving has changed the way people relate and connect with each other, and in the world. It fuels bigotry, ignorance, egotism, apathy, and resistance to real learning and growth.
The only way out of this vicious program is to reject it. To break out of the consumption-comparison trap. To learn discernment, boundaries, awareness, humility, and honesty. We must endeavor to be more discerning around what we consume, what we engage with, what we interact with, and what we subscribe to. Consider what you are actually feeding your mind and self. Consider the underlying messages you’re actually absorbing. Consider the person or the source. Consider how it makes you feel. Sometimes what looks good is not actually what it appears to be. And most importantly, consider what you value and what you believe in.
Break free from the program of comparison. Recognize that we are all on our own journeys. Focus on your own growth, and walk your own path. There is no use in comparing yourself to other people, and you are not obligated to compete with anyone else just because society pressures us to. It is simply a waste of energy to compare in order to inform how you place and feel about yourself. We can certainly all inspire each other, help teach each other, and serve as examples for one another. But at the end of the day, every person is on their own journey in life. Their path is completely their own, and the pacing, timing, experiences, lessons and outcomes are uniquely theirs. The course curriculum is different. The timing and length is different. The cycles and phases are different. The milestones are different. The goals are different. The desires are different. The lives are simply meant to manifest differently. When people are not focused on walking their own path, it can be understandable to want to look at another person’s life for clues or answers. But it will not provide the answers that are uniquely yours because you’re trying to figure out how to live your own life by looking at someone else’s. Even if you try to model your life after another’s it won’t be the life that you’re meant to live. You’ll be living a false and untrue life, and that will be felt deep down. And you’ll be holding yourself back from the one you’re supposed to be living.
I don’t think it is beneficial nor meaningful to try to live a life by using external examples as benchmarks, when your spirit is so very unique. Do not allow yourself to create space for doubt or not ‘feeling good enough’ to take root inside of you. If you feel it creeping, cut it back. Cut your media consumption back. Stop the endless scroll. Be mindful of what you are consuming. The time spent scrolling on social media or content should be time spent with your self, nurturing your self. Do not give your energy and power to someone or something else. Endeavor to live your own life, built on your own truths.
Instead of comparing or scrolling, return the focus back to you. Create a list of things that nurture and build yourself up. This could include:
Do the thing or hobby that makes you feels good and strong— the thing that allows you to express your natural self and abilities. It gives you confidence and energy. It makes you smile when do it. And if you don’t know yet, explore and experiment!
Do a self-care act that feels recharging, nourishing and pleasurable. Could be something simple like taking a bath or going for a swim.
Create a list of all the weird and unique things about yourself and learn to appreciate them.
Reflect and journal all the things you have accomplished and feel proud of. It could be something as simple as starting a new sleep or eating regimen or starting to meditate for 10 minutes a day. Simple steps that feel like incremental progress are still achievements. Any decision you make that makes you feel good is an achievement. Acknowledging these steps are empowering because real change happens in the process.