We have all come across people who may fake their stories and experiences. You could be a person who is faking it all on social media or to the people around you; showing that you are happy; that you are well off; that you are living this perfect life but all of this stems from two things, insecurity and caring about what other people think.
What is a fake life and how do people live it?
A fake life is when one illuminates an image of themselves as someone who they are not, thus hiding behind a mask. With all of their insecurity, they tend to strive for validation from people whether it be physically or digitally. Yes, we all show different people different parts of ourselves depending on how close we are to that person. The people who choose a fake life decide to build a façade that they anticipate would make them more likeable which is going to bring a lot of disappointment in return.
A great example would be someone who goes into debt to make a grandiose purchase such as getting a luxurious branded item or a fancy car for the sake of people (not even themselves) rather than an investment. People generally want to increase their status and the way some may do that is through the purchases of brands, and that is totally fine! If you can afford it of course. It is far more respectable for you to have something you can afford rather than pretend to afford something.
Scenario 1
Person A is well off, they run a couple of businesses and have wide income streams. They are able to afford a fancy car without breaking their bank account and they do so.
Person B has an average income, they are not able to afford the car Person A has but they are able to afford an average car that carries out their basic needs and they do so.
Person C also has an average income, they can afford the car Person B has but not the car Person A has. They want to show people that they can afford such car without actually being able to due to their insecurities in themselves. So they decide to go in debt; suffer paying installments just for the sake of people believing that they can afford Person A\’s car thus putting them on a pedestal.
Through reading this scenario, you would have possibly concluded that Person C is doing it all wrong. They do things for validation, they value the opinions of other people over their own. This scenario can be applied to everything such as brands, airplane tickets, vacations etc.
What to do if you are living a fake life?
You need to start learning how to be confident within your own skin, this is a very complex topic but it can be done in a lot of different ways. You need to recognize your self-worth and learn to not attach it to anyone because nobody determines your self-worth other than yourself. This can only be done through consistent practice, it is like training a muscle. You have to learn that you should do things for yourself and not for other people. Going after validation from people and seeking their attention is worthless from the way I see it. You should break this façade by being yourself and living within your means. If you really want something, put in the work for it and manage to afford it. You will gain more respect as opposed to getting it without being able to afford it. You should always remember that you should be happy and grateful for what you have and for the state you are currently in. Silence the background noise of the people and just be yourself with whatever it is. You only have one life so live it without having to please anyone.
This is so true. Rather accept me as I am because why would you not want to be yourself if the person does not like that’s there problem not yours. Never change yourself for anyone. Be confident in your own skin. Love yourself to love others
Well said Ridhwaan!
Excellent blog. Social media has substantially proliferated the amount of people who desire to be person “C” in today’s society. I believe this is because as evident today the most followed and liked are those who are “successful” so an increasing number of individuals yearn for that social media likes and followers helping cope with the feeling of insecurity. An interesting thought is, this blog predominantly focuses on monetary goods as a way to live the “Fake life”, however you could apply the same to concepts like editing images to make yourself seem skinner or prettier on social media.
It is a nice way to discuss such a problem because you are here to make a change and help others that might be going through this thing not only pointing on them. We all sometimes need an notification that will allow is to wake up from a circle we are stuck in .