Often, the worst experiences your peers go through are presented to you as if they are pure joy. If everyone around you has gone to university and that was never your choice, you may imagine them enjoying studying, diving into classes, or being immersed in sports—while you feel anxious that your own time is being wasted. This is exactly what the fear of missing out (FOMO) is.
Since I’ve gone through such experiences myself, I can write about them better. You’re not really missing out on some special party, a life-changing class, or even a top-notch investment opportunity.
In fact, the real “missing out” comes from making the wrong decision—not from pursuing what you’re currently doing. Don’t be fooled by advertising. For once, leave Instagram, LinkedIn, and other feeds behind, and truly live. But remember—don’t present your own life in a way that creates fear of missing out (FOMO) for others either. Certainly you dislike others, poke their nose into your lives.
For example, today in my country, Iran, I see so many people rushing into selling coffee.
Coffee may resonate with Gen Z, but part of this trend also seems to be a wrong decision driven by fear of missing out. Shopkeepers who once had completely different professions are now moving offline into the coffee trade! If everyone becomes a coffee seller just because it looks like the “right” and more enjoyable choice, then no work will truly feel fulfilling anymore.
Joy lies in what we are doing right now—not in the so-called lost opportunities we see on social media. So, let’s not sacrifice perseverance and effort for a wrong decision that only leads us to constantly jump from one branch to another.