What I Learned From Keeping a More Private Life
Also gained more freedom and mental clarity thanks to it.
I firmly believe that everyone is good until proven differently. But that was not always the case as I usually believe that everyone had some good within them, regardless of anything.
The circumstances might seem equal, however, they’re not. Since I believed everyone has good in them, I trusted far too much in people that ended up hurting or disappointing me.
That mindset then shifted when I started to keep my life more and more private.
Through that, I learned some things about myself and my surroundings that I find worth sharing.
Not everyone is a friend
You virtually can trust anyone with information about your personal life. The problem is that some of your so-called friends will gossip. This is enough to ruin someone's life, as gossip spreads lies that wrongfully label people.
This alone was more than enough to keep my life private.
No one to owe explanations
When I exposed more of my life, people felt entitled to spit out their opinions. In turn, I felt like I needed to justify my actions, like a good subordinate I was unconsciously being.
Nowadays I’m free from public opinion and only share my private life with a couple of trustworthy friends.
It just feels good to walk around head held high.
Peace of mind
Exposition leads to comparison which in turn leads to inadequacy and dissatisfaction. The end result was shaky mental health.
Since I became more private about my life, I felt no need to seek any form of external validation. It goes along with not owing explanations to others.
If I don’t expose myself I’m not susceptible to comparisons or opinions. Hence I no longer dwell on the negativity that used to poison my mind.
More safety
This is a given. The less anyone shares online the safer they are.
Due to keeping my life private, I was able to shake a stalker out of my life, as the person no longer had no way to know what I was doing with my life.
Also, it keeps me safe from identity thieves and possible threats from people who could have all the information I shared.
Better relationships
My former romantic relationship suffered from this in the beginning. Despite not sharing intimate or personal aspects of our life, there was just too much of it.
As I stepped further from the public eye, I was able to focus on what mattered — which was the relationship I had with my partner. It was good for both of us, as our bond became stronger and we gradually started trusting each other more.
Though that relationship came to an end, I kept this mindset with my friends and family. I can safely tell you that I’ve never had healthier relationships than today.
Living a private life does not mean pushing people away or becoming isolated. It involves choosing carefully what details of our personal life we’re comfortable sharing and whom we decide to share them with
Inspired by a fellow creator, I decided to challenge myself to publish 100 short-form articles within January. This is article number 33.
