Katharina Buczek
As children, we often have enormous fantasies of growing up and changing the world. Dreams of becoming princesses and crime-fighting superheroes feel entirely reasonable and attainable.
Beyond these unrealistic hopes, even teenagers and young adults who have some sense of reality still imagine lavish lifestyles of success and accomplishment in their futures. Although almost everyone does have achievements, the “real world” is often not everything it’s cracked up to be.
One user named Matchamotchie went through this realization and questioned their life’s mark. They shared their epiphany that they “are not special” and will not leave behind “major ‘legacies’ in their lifetime” with the Reddit community.
“I was a ‘child prodigy’ in a small pool of kids. So, I got called a ‘genius’ a lot. I had big dreams to be the next Zuckerberg or something,” the user explained.
“I participated in national and international competitions and was used to being the best in everything. But, then I went to a pretty prestigious college abroad,” the user continued.
Their entire self-perception changed from that moment on.
“I struggled with grades for the first time and went through hell to get part-time jobs and internships. Then, one day, I just woke up and realized that I no longer have big dreams,” the user said.
“My smarter, more privileged, and/or more hardworking friends might go far in life. But, I will always be a nobody to 99.99% of people. And it just makes me sad,” the user finished.
The user also asked if anyone else in the Reddit community felt the same way. Unfortunately, most– if not all– users have experienced similar epiphanies. But, they have also discovered other ways to find meaning in life.
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