Statement of Perspective

This piece started after one of those late-night scrolls when I caught myself adding random “self-improvement” things to my cart: books I wouldn’t read, serums I didn’t need, and a planner I’d probably abandon in a week. I realized how easily I treat progress like a shopping list, as if the right purchase or routine could fix me. I’ve always loved goals and progress bars, which makes me the perfect target for the whole “perfection as product” idea. Writing this felt like holding up a mirror and kind of laughing at myself.

The “steps” sound ridiculous on purpose because that’s what the internet sounds like half the time—bossy, confident, and a little fake. The tone is loud, full of hashtags and fake approvals, because that’s how the pressure feels in real life too. Underneath the jokes, though, I’m calling myself out for constantly refreshing, comparing, and convincing myself I’m one purchase away from enough. The repetition of “consume!” came naturally because no matter which version of “self” you pick, academic, aesthetic, alternative, it all loops back to buying something. Writing this helped me notice how deep that habit runs and how badly I want to start questioning it.