Dr. Vijay Garg
Today’s society is suffering from a strange disease—the disease of appearance. It appears neither in the body nor is caught on medical reports, but it gradually hollows out the mind, relationships, and values. Modern lifestyles, social media, and competition have made it even more deadly.
Showing up by trying to be what we really are not—expensive clothes, big cars, pictures of a perfect life on social media, borrowed hobbies, and increased expenses—are all symptoms of this disease. The individual begins to expend energy on impressing others while becoming dissatisfied with their actual identity.
The disease is not limited to economic losses. It leads to an increase in mental stress, jealousy, inferiority, and loneliness. People hide anxiety, debt, and broken relationships behind smiling pictures. In the race for appearance, a person starts competing with their own self as well, weakening family and social ties.
Social media feeds the disease. There are edited moments, not the truths of life. This habit of comparison makes us feel like we are less successful, less happy, and less stylish—while the truth is that in every life there is struggle, just hidden behind filters.
The biggest disadvantage of appearance is that it kills satisfaction. When contentment is gone, enjoyment also fades away. The person starts paying more attention to appearance than image. Gradually, values, simplicity, and honesty are replaced by brands, likes, and applause.
The treatment of this disease is not difficult—just honesty with oneself. Accepting our limitations, understanding the difference between need and want, and knowing that true happiness lies in inner peace, not in outward brightness. Simplicity is not a weakness, but a sign of confidence.
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The Disease of Appearance: A Modern Epidemic
The Illusion of Social Media and the “Perfect” Life
Nowadays, a big part of our lives is spent on screens. We take photos of food before we taste it to show the world what a “luxury” life we are living. The hunger for likes, shares, and comments has made us slaves to self-expression. Often people start judging their ordinary lives as “less than” by looking at others’ edited pictures.
Economy of Performance
People are buying stuff they do not need with money they don’t have (credit cards or loans), just to impress people they don’t even like.
Expensive gadgets: No need to buy a new phone every year has become a status symbol.
Show-off weddings: People blow up years of earnings in a single day’s show.
Mental Health Attacks
This race to appear is mentally hollowing us out. When we fail to bridge the gap between our reality and pretended image, the following problems arise:
The Poison of Comparison: Comparing yourself to others is the root cause of unhappiness.
Loneliness: In our desire to shine in a crowd, we lose true connection with ourselves.
Stress and Anxiety: The pressure to always look “up-to-date” does not allow us to live peacefully.
Society will only be healthier when we step out of appearance and embrace reality. To remain what one truly is—that is the greatest courage in this day and age.
