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30/09/2025 10:06 pm
I want fully to give up the pressure to succeed at everything. I have tried, but it is a hard mindset to let go of. As a young person, I feel like there is all this pressure from society to do the utmost in every subject at school, be involved in a million extra-curriculars and accept any opportunity that will boost your resume. All for what? We are told that is what will get us into a good college, which will in turn secure us a successful career in the future. Instead of focusing on advancing as much as possible in every subject, I would rather follow my passions, improving in areas I actually care about. Erasing the mindset of needing to be the best at everything would allow me to actually be content. I wouldn't feel the burnt out weight of that boring class I am taking just to look good to an admissions office, my volunteer work would be genuine, and I could find a passion for learning. In some ways, I have actually tried to follow in the footsteps of McCandless by rejecting the path to success and creating my own instead. There are so many amazing opportunities I have turned down simply because they don't align with my passions.
I think the hardest part is knowing that some people are disappointed that you don't put all your effort into certain things. When you stop doing things for the sake of others, you lose people along the way. I have several friends that I have become distanced from simply because our interests don't align anymore. The biggest message I have to remind myself of is that I don't need to do anything for the sake of society. Why should I have to sacrifice my passions to be successful?
01/10/2025 8:07 am
I totally agree with your post. I feel like we do have a lot of pressure on us to do everything and anything, or we won't get accepted. That is not at all true; some colleges don't even require the SAT or will even accept a GPA of 3.0. This is a blessing and a curse because you could work your butt off all through high school, and another classmate could go into the same program with fewer credentials.
It hits home when you said you lost friends while doing things for yourself. Why do some people think they are entitled to you at all times? I think it can come from jealousy because they see you are doing better than they are. I have personally tried to give encouragement and a helping hand to lead others where I am headed. It's just never enough for some people, I guess. Why do some people feel the need to give up friendships because someone is above them at that moment?
01/10/2025 8:14 am
I absolutely love this. As a kid who has felt the pressure to succeed since our GT classes in middle school, I've never read something more relatable. There's all this pressure to be a perfect student, with a perfect GPA, and perfect extracurriculars, all to find out there will always be someone better. My passion lies in philosophy and I would love it if I could drop my standards of getting 4s in every class so in my free time I could instead explore the works of Plato and Aristotle. Do you think its possible to explore passions, get perfect grades, and not get burnt out simultaneously. I would have to say no, but if you figure out a way to do all 3 and thrive, let me know ASAP! 🤣
