When being okay starts to feel like a lie
There comes a point where “I’m okay” stops being an update and starts becoming a performance. It’s the line you repeat at work, to your friends, to your family, because the truth feels too complicated to explain. And maybe even you’ve started believing it. I think that’s what scares me the most, how convincing I sound when I say I’m fine. How routine the smile has become. It’s almost like my mind has learned how to tidy up my emotions before they ever reach the surface. It’s not even about lying, really. It’s more about convenience. Saying you’re okay makes other people comfortable. It avoids awkward pauses, unsolicited advice, and overreactions. And maybe it also helps you avoid the confrontation with yourself. Because if you admit that you’re not okay, then you have to do something about it. And sometimes, you just don’t have the energy for that kind of honesty. I think “being okay” has turned into this socially acceptable middle ground between fallin...