As we strive to improve something in our lives, it’s easy to prioritize appearance over substance. This often happens when we’re concerned with status, prestige, reputation, or vanity.
Here are some examples (of which yours truly has been guilty):
- Building glamour muscles but lacking functional strength.
- Adding to an already large collection of sparsely read books.
- Following an extensive skincare routine while eating shittily.
- Buying an expensive thing to signal wealth.
A problem arises when we spend more time hiding or avoiding our deficiencies than it would take to meaningfully address or accept them.
Resist the charades. It’s seldom worth trying to outwardly display things that aren’t inherently (invisibly) present.
Resist the charades. It’s rarely worth the effort to outwardly display qualities that aren’t inherently (and often invisibly) present.
Instead, develop inherent qualities, skills, and values rather than settling for the appearance of them. Substance always outlasts the show.