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Why Would Anyone Tie Their Happiness To Other People’s Choices?
A curse that still makes the rounds
The practice is so detrimental that it must be irrational. Firstly, it makes the practitioner vulnerable and renders them incapable of overcoming the issue. In addition, they have no agency, bound forever to the whims of fate. Who would choose such a life? Who wouldn’t concentrate all their efforts on escaping from such imprisonment? Perplexingly, this practice is almost as common as it is tragical. I refer to the terrible idea of making our happiness dependent on other people’s choices.
Even the most carefree individual should be able to relate to the experience. Who hasn’t been annoyed at the actions of a fictional character? Or perhaps the defeat of our preferred team in a ball sport caused us to be irritable and frustrated. I believe this emotion is similar to what we feel when we care too much about what those close to us do or how they choose to live.
The most evident case is that of the worried mother. Sadly, some cases are exceedingly acute: parents whose mental stability relies on the kind of life their offspring embark on. From their children’s sexuality to their career choices, these anxious parents seem unable to enjoy their time unless their descendants follow a path they deem correct. Admittedly, the reasons…