“If you’re only interested in self-expression then you are contributing to the conflict, confusion, and antagonism of man. Without first searching out the meaning of life, mere self-expression, however gratifying, will only bring misery and disaster.”
— J. Krishnamurti
Today, we have a ton of platforms for self-expression. WhatsApp groups to discuss local issues, faceless Reddit communities to share our darkest secrets, X and Instagram where we can get validation for our opinions.
But many people use these platforms to only express anger or disappointment, or outrage, or to create awareness by highlighting problems and demanding someone else fixes it.
This doesn’t make the world better. Au contraire, you harm yourself by becoming mean and by paving the way for other people to attack you. And, according to Swami Vivekananda, you “injure society, and make danger for those that come after you.”
Self-expression is good when it comes from a place of being useful, of wanting to be a part of the solution (or at least not making the problem worse). So, before you express an opinion, run it through Socrates’ three filters: Is it truthful? Is it good? Is it useful?
Speak only when the answer to all three questions is “yes.”