The Identity Crisis of Our Time
"I think that we're living in an age of an identity crisis and there's just so much unknown. Whenever you're in environments where there's so much insecurity around you, people tend to cling more to belonging and finding somewhere where they belong... People are so desperate to seek belonging to a group and they've forgotten to belong to themselves." — Mark Manson
Description
In this discussion, Mark Manson identifies a fundamental problem affecting modern youth: in an era of unprecedented uncertainty and insecurity, young people are desperately seeking belonging in external groups rather than developing a strong sense of self. This creates a cycle where kids latch onto various identities—whether related to trauma, neurodivergence, gender, or other categories—not necessarily because these labels truly fit them, but because they provide a sense of community and belonging. Manson suggests that the real solution isn't to criticize these group identities, but to help children develop the confidence and self-esteem to belong to themselves first. When you're secure in your own identity, you're less likely to frantically search for validation through group membership.
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