How to Escape the Illusions of Ranks

I come from an Asian country obsessed with rankings and hierarchies. I remember the days when my mother would happily tell neighbors and anyone she met that her daughter was always in the top three. She didn’t praise me to my face, but boasting to other mothers was how she showed her pride. Thus, at an early age, I learned to earn my mother’s love and validation by climbing the academic ranks. When I started working, my climb did not stop. I climbed the ranks from junior to senior and eventually, assistant manager in a public accounting firm. In client meetings, I usually introduce myself with my name and title. I let my position define me. All of that changed after I lived and worked in a European country. In this country, people didn’t care much about ranks and titles. I learned to call people on a first-name basis. I didn’t always have to introduce myself with my position first. I let my competence speak for itself. But then, throughout these years, I constantly ask myself, “What’s next?” Like you, I had been contemplating a lot about my journey to the top. When will I know to stop? Why is it that every time I pass a ladder rung, I have more rungs to climb? More places to gain, more people to please, and at one point, I got tired of the endlessness. I don’t want to keep climbing ladders only to realize that the things I was chasing will not matter. <a href="https://betterhumans.pub/how-to-escape-the-illusions-of-ranks-2f78b19e8033">Website</a>