Meh.

"You don't know what's going on in people's lives."

Well, neither do I. I recently came across my own posts on Instagram and recalled the events behind each photo. It was a real wake-up call.

One photo showed me surrounded by yellow leaves last autumn, with the caption, "Of course, I'm excited when I see the yellow leaves." But the truth behind the photo was quite different. I was experiencing PMS and in considerable pain, not really in a good mood, and even arguing with my friends. There was another photo with an advice caption like "...respect yourself too," while, in reality, I was going through a mental breakdown, desperately trying to please others. And there are certainly many more "behind the scenes" stories.

So, here's my point, guys: never judge someone based on their social media presence. I mean it, please don't. First and foremost, stop comparing your behind-the-scenes lives to other people's highlights. The person you see in that beautiful Instagram photo might be going through the same difficulties as you are. It's just a matter of how they choose to deal with their problems on social media. In my case, I prefer to neutralize myself by showing positivity. Now, onto my second point - don't evaluate a person solely based on their social media posts. Don't assume they have no struggles just because they share positive content. We truly have no idea what's happening in people's lives.

This is what I meant by a "wake-up call." It turns out that sharing too much positivity can lead to misunderstandings. People start to believe that you never face difficulties, and when they are struggling, they may think you "can't understand" them because you're always in your "comfort zone." So many quotation marks here, but I mean it. On the other hand, when you do encounter problems, people assume you can handle them all by yourself because "you're always strong and positive." While that can be beneficial in some ways, it also means you may lack compassion and support from others. Eventually, you end up struggling alone. So, Soly, my advice is to stop sharing too much on social media (although I'm actually quite selective about my followers!).

I don't know why I'm writing this. I should be studying for my Turkish language exam, and it's driving me crazy! Okay, back to studying now. :P

Bye, silent reader!