“It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.”
― Andre Gide, Autumn Leaves
This world unnecessarily makes us unhappy. It seems that our generation is more likely to experience stress and pressure than previous generations. That’s because there are so many reasons why we’re likely to be depressed: pressures at home, school, and work, worry about financial issues, global warming, and pandemic.
In particular, social pressures we face every day likely to cause emotional instability. Our world keeps asking us who we are: What’s your job? What’s your educational background? Where are you from? They keep asking us to decide the level of respect they give us.
And when we watch TV, there is an avalanche of commercials keep telling us to be better than who we actually are. For instance, cosmetic companies try so hard to convince old ladies that aging makes them look tired and ugly and buy their products to make them look younger and better. But you see, aging is an inevitable natural process that everyone will go through. Why do we have to think it’s a bad thing?
In the tech world, not only does Apple try to convince us what we own now is outdated and replace it with their new models, they try to make us believe we’re never enough if we keep using Android. They invite you to their closed-garden ecosystem and give you a chance to show off your fancy phones and MacBook in a coffee shop. No one cares if you bought it in installments or not… They only care what you have. The same goes for luxurious cars, watch and the list goes on.
So, here comes to my question: aren’t we good enough just as we are? In this world. no one tells us we’re just fine as we are. As I mentioned earlier, our society keeps asking us what we have but never asks us who we actually are. I forgot his name, but a Japanese monk who studied Buddhism in Nepal once said in a documentary Nepali people welcome anyone and accept as they are. According to them, your existence is already enough. Why can’t we think like that?
Our world tries to keep us busy for our entire lifetime. Educations, jobs, and many other competitions you face in the ever-changing business world. Don’t you think we need to take a break? Sometimes, maybe we need to slow down a little bit…
Here are some shots I photographed in Enoshima Island on a rainy day in Summer.
