As someone with ample experience in leadership positions, Mike Shouhed has experienced first-hand the benefits of standing out from the pack. In the digital age, there’s been a significant push from those in power positions to have people conform to societal norms. Whether it be news networks that segment people based on a political belief or a social media algorithm that causes everyone to watch the same videos, there’s countless reasons for people to act and think just like everyone else. Today, Mike Shouhed will discuss why people should consider breaking free from a few common societal norms.
Before diving into societal norms to break away from, Mike Shouhed acknowledges that some societal norms are there for a reason. For example, it is a common courtesy to allow personal space between yourself and a stranger on a public bus or waiting your turn to talk when in a conversation. Certain societal standards are in place to ensure people treat one another with respect. Still, there are plenty societal norms that cause people to go through the motions in life without experiencing true human growth.
One common societal norm that is a waste of everyone’s time is asking “how are you?” when you are uninterested in the answer. It’s much more fulfilling to ask a person how they are when you care about their well-being. When every “how are you?” interaction is only an opportunity to say, “pretty good and you?” we become conditioned to relate to one another on an extremely shallow level. Meaningful human connections is an invaluable part of life and human emotional growth. Reserving the question of “how are you?” for times when you can actually have a conversation and check-in on a person will enrich your life.
When it comes to American nutrition, people become conditioned from an early age to turn to fast food chains as comfort food. A lot of the food products that are heavily marketed to children and adults alike have minimal nutritional value and do little to provide a person with the energy they need to be the best version of themselves. As someone who thrives on the carnivore diet, Mike Shouhed is always amazed at how many people consider this diet bizarre when it has been the more prevalent nutritional plan throughout human history. The food and drug industry are both billion-dollar businesses where companies that pour the most into their marketing budgets have a succinct advantage. Mike Shouhed encourages people to do their own nutritional research and discuss what food plans are the best for their particular health needs.
Mike Shouhed knows almost everyone has experienced attending a social gathering where almost the entire party is glued to their phones – even while having a conversation with their fellow party attendees. While people have been conditioned to reach for their phones in almost any scenario, using the phone during a social gathering can have a plethora of negative social consequences. When a person looks at their phone during a conversation, it’s going to cause the other person in the conversation to feel ignored or rejected. It also diminishes the opportunity for a person to gain anything of value from an interaction. Mike Shouhed credits a lot of the success he has enjoyed in life to his ability to have meaningful conversations with other people.
Finally, and most importantly, people should never listen blindly to other people. Most media outlets have an agenda to push from their corporate bosses. Blindly taking advice at face value does not allow us to grow as individuals. Mike Shouhed strongly believes in asking questions and forming your own opinions. Adopting this mindset will allow anyone to regain their power and allow their individual personality to shine through.
