You're Only Seeing The Highlight Real

[james.hendrickson]

Guys,

Found this posting from Dave Ramsey. I think its worth repeating for the lurkers here on the forums.

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"You feel like you're losing at life because everyone on social media seems to have it all: cars, vacations, big houses. But you're only seeing their highlight reel.

When they brag about their new car, and you're still driving a 2015 model, brag back that you haven't had a car payment for the past 5 years.

When they post about their vacation, remind yourself that you don't have vacation debt.

When they show off their big house, celebrate that yours is paid for.

Most of those people are drowning in payments and debt. 78% of people are living paycheck to paycheck. You're not losing. You're winning—debt free, investing for your future, and building real wealth.

Stop comparing your life to someone else's highlight reel on social media. Instead, compare your bank account to your goals. That's what real winning looks like.

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[disneysteve]

Social media presents such a twisted view of the world. It leads to a lot of people feeling badly about themselves. It's important to recognize that people only show you what they want you to see on the social media feed. Nobody posts about the fight they just had with their partner or about the outstanding balance on their credit card or about the stress they're under caring for an aging parent. Social media doesn't depict the full range of life experiences. For the most part, it's just the highlights, as DR says.

[james.hendrickson]

Social media presents such a twisted view of the world. It leads to a lot of people feeling badly about themselves. It's important to recognize that people only show you what they want you to see on the social media feed. Nobody posts about the fight they just had with their partner or about the outstanding balance on their credit card or about the stress they're under caring for an aging parent. Social media doesn't depict the full range of life experiences. For the most part, it's just the highlights, as DR says.

Totally Disneysteve - and its easy to forget this. People just the see the impressions given on Social Media - and they don't get the other aspects of the person's life.

[kork13]

Yeah, I utterly detest the attention/validation-seeking behaviors that social media drives in most people who are active participants on social media. If you don't get "enough" likes & follows & shares & whatever, you don't matter. "Influencer" is not only a valid but an envied job title. That's disturbing to me.

[ua_guy]

Most people I know who make serious money aren't displaying their wealth on social media. Those who do brag, humble brag, or, you know, "accidentally" capture a photo of their brand new car in the background of a selfie are typically still building themselves - emotionally and financially. And that's OK.

In people's younger years, I think that's harder to ignore especially when there's competition between peers. I agree with the spirit of this post....focus on your self, your money, YOUR success. Don't allow yourself to be an emotional hostage to social media. Sometimes that's hard to do, but the more you are mindful of it, the easier it becomes.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

social media makes it hard to appreciate what you have and enjoy it.

Quote "comparison is the thief of joy"

And we do see the highlights reel of people's lives.