Ever wondered if the perspective of a family member and a co-worker of the same person could vary drastically? Ever heard of people having two faces? Ever felt that someone didn’t treat you the same way they treat others? These experiences all boil down to one thing: impressions.

We humans live and strive to impress the ones we respect and love. More often than not, we push for the extra mile in a bid to establish ourselves in the minds of our desired people. But how often do we realize that this doesn’t make us a better person unless, and otherwise, we display the same attitude to those who are less privileged than us? Selective flattering, as I like to call it.

“The least prominent person in a place is the one who would have realized and experienced the true character of everyone in the room.”

So why do we so frequently prioritize a person’s status over their humanity? Isn’t this, in essence, a self-centered and selfish act? Yet, the mere thought of success seems to overpower such considerations. It’s as though we’re taking a shortcut—but no, what we’re really doing is cutting short our humanity. If we continue down this path, genuineness will become a relic of the past.

Regardless of our job post, let us all spend some time thinking about where we started our careers from. Let us all be grateful to our senior employers who instilled in us the skills that we possess today. And think for a second, how things would have gone if they had not spent time nurturing us. Lending a helping hand is a cyclic process. When we lend a helping hand to someone in need, we get a favor from someone else whom we least expected.

Perhaps it’s not the extra hours you put in, but the moments when you lend a hand that leave a lasting impression. Life is unpredictable — help can come from unexpected places. A stranger today could be the one who helps you in a moment of crisis tomorrow. In the end, it’s the human connections we build, not just our accomplishments, that truly shape our journey.

For some, realization might come after reading this article. For some, after an incident hits them hard. Life is too short, but success and desires are endless. So, let’s strive to be better—not just as partners, parents, employers, or employees, but as human beings. Let’s make humanity our true identity.

There’s no doubt that the pandemic has tested our resilience. Take a moment to reflect on what you endured during those long, arduous months. It wasn’t easy — from losing loved ones to facing setbacks in life. Yet, for those who were financially stable, the pandemic provided an opportunity to strengthen family bonds and create lasting memories. Of course, even they faced their share of distress.

This situation, to me, defines life. Life is not an exam where we sit in a cozy room, cracking as many questions as possible. It’s more of a path-planning mind game, where we understand our situation and strive to make things better. Everyone has a unique set of circumstances, yet we’re all confronted with the same fundamental question:

Should our life’s purpose be solely to grow ourselves, or should we also help our families, communities, and society grow?

This is where our moral values come into play. We must remain conscious of the fundamental truth that we are shaped by those who supported us—our teachers who guided us, the children on the streets who taught us humanity, and the parents who raised us with love and care. Reflecting on the impact of these people in my life gives me chills. Sadly, it’s also true that some people, despite neglecting these relationships, still manage to achieve material success. But here’s where life has its own set of twists and turns for us.

As ironic as it is, life goes far beyond being a simple path-planning journey where we merely strive to understand our situation and reach greater heights. Along the way, we often equate success—whether in terms of wealth or popularity—to the three essential meals of our day. But it’s happiness that acts as the lifeline, making those meals truly nourishing and meaningful.

So, there we go striving to be happy in life. We read books on how to be happy and make friends. And that’s when we realize it isn’t as easy as it sounds. Before long, we comprehend the temporariness of life. It’s as if we are being pranked and end up cheating ourselves.