F.O.M.O.
"Do you really like that shit you like or you like the way they gave it to you?" - Fam
Sometimes we gotta accept that some things aren't made for us. The shows, the movies, the music, the games, the trends, etc. Some things just aren't for you. Realistically, it's completely okay to not be into something even if it feels like everyone else is. Sometimes feeling like you're supposed to like certain things comes from a place of insecurity. We fear not fitting in or feeling like we can't join the conversation the group is having. Some people don't have that option and must fit in to survive and that's unfortunate. But for those that have the option, it's easy to take it for granted. It's hard to see our own insecurity sometimes. You feel the need to join the discussion or else you feel left out and that's kinda scary. What are you supposed to do if you can't join the group? I get it though. We all want to feel accepted in some way.
Some stuff I don't really like or not that into:
TV shows
99% of anime
Boba (the milk tea is fire though)
Cars
Baseball
Football
The Beatles
EDM
Banda (im sorry)
The gym life
I don't really drink like that, just on certain occasions (IPAs are fire too)
Vegan meat
I tried listing fairly popular things just to get my point across. Nothing wrong with liking these things, but do it from a place where you actually like them and enjoy them. Stop following the latest thing just to feel like you can also participate with society and fit in. Are you really gonna force yourself to watch all the Marvel movies just because everyone else is talking about it, just to then realize you never liked them? You really gonna stop putting time into something you like cause the homies aren't doing it? You're gonna spend money on something you're not really feeling, but everyone else is? Don't lie to yourself, I promise it's okay to do the things that make you feel like you. You may even end up introducing others to things that you're into and put them onto something new.
On the other hand, how do you know if you like something without giving it a try? There isn't a way to really know if you don't like a music album if you haven't listened to it. You'd be pretty close-minded if you just decided you didn't like something just to say you didn't like something. Sometimes things gets popular because it's good and a lot of people agree that it's good. I guess there's a difference between curiosity and peer pressure. Imma listen if it peaked my interest, but I'm not gonna listen because I know everyone online is or cause all my friends are gonna talk about it. I'll give things a shot, but I don't think I can force something to happen for me to be into it. If it's good to me, I'll know. Just enjoy the things you like bro, it's okay.
Not only do we fear missing out on stuff like movies and trends, but it's evident in the life choices we make too. It can feel scary to see others start to get married, have kids, go to college, graduate college, get a new car, get into relationships, buy a house, get a promotion, travel, and a bunch of other things that frequently happen in life. We see this and begin to feel like we should be somewhere along a similar path. Like we have to catch up or something. It's very easy to get to a dark place when you start to make those comparisons. You can find yourself feeling left out or feeling like you should be doing a lot more with your life. Everyone has their personal reasons to think this way, but it can really tell us something about our outlook on things when we begin to regularly compare ourselves to how people are doing or only seek the things that are popping in culture. Also quick sidenote, most of us are gonna post the best version of ourselves so you don't know everyone based off social media alone. Unless you keep up with that person in real life, sometimes you only really remember someone based off the last things you remember of them (recency bias) or the first impression they gave you that one time (primacy bias). People change over the years. Eventually we grow up.
The fear of missing out on things is real and stressful. There isn't really a map to this thing though. There is no one book on how to live the best life or how to be successful. All that is subjective and defined by you. No need to give into social pressure, no need to conform, no need to act or live up to what others are doing. Just enjoy the things you like, but also, be open to the things others share with you (even if you don't think it's good, but don't be a dick). Just do you bro. It's easier said than done obviously, but life feels lighter when you don't live up to expectations or standards set by others.
