On Insta — Bali, In Life — Debts. How Not to Fall for Other People's Stories

On a particularly sparkling evening, you dramatically collapse onto the sofa like a whale onto a trampoline.
The day stretched out like chewing gum: your boss chirped like a teapot, you squeezed 15 minutes out of lunch like a lemon, and in the evening it rained again, even though the shade promised +30 and flying elephants.
You grab your phone — just to "scroll a bit" on Instagram to soothe your conscience...

And then — BAM.

First story: Anya from a parallel universe — in Bali, hugging palm trees with her legs in a hammock and holding a coconut like it’s a globe.
Second: a blogger who "used to be an office caterpillar," has been pretending to be a star in Dubai for a month now.
Third — a family in the Maldives, hashtag #ourkidsalreadytravel because their dog is already in Ibiza.

You freeze, like yogurt in the freezer.
Your tea suddenly feels as sad as a dissertation. The sofa seems like an ancient artifact. In the mirror — you, without a beach or coconut accessories. And in your head, a question nags: why am I not the Duke of Bali?

Let’s break it down.

Stories — the latest weapon of sudden self-destruction

Social media has invented a new sport — highlight racing.
But there are no trophies here, just endless running after soap bubbles.
You only see other people’s jumps over rainbows. And not just "the best shots," but specially soaked, ironed, filmed on the fifth try and drenched in vibe sauce.

• Palm tree in Bali? — rented from a local hamster.

• Business class? — ticket on points + a credit card crying bloody tears.

• Endless travel? — two weeks on credit, then two months of pasta with ketchup and philosophy.

Your brain honestly puts your day — against someone else’s circus.
And predictably loses, because you have — traffic jams, work, sauce on your shirt, insomnia, and they have — only Bali, pool, white sheets, and a smile from ear to ear.

Why do we always fall for this cheese

The brain is simple — it compares everything to any fridge.
It’s too lazy to analyze, it just "rates."
The longer you scroll — the fatter the loser feeling.
And a thousand times a day you catch yourself thinking, "why isn’t it like that for me?"
Whoosh — effect achieved.
Your mood sinks, confidence hides, you don’t want to live. But you really want to look at the feed again.
But it won’t get better.
Because social media is running in circles on the tail of your own envy. The more you look — the more sour you get. The more sour — the more you want to zone out.
The snake bites its own tail.

Success by Mortgage Passport

There’s a trick.
Start digging into the "successful" — and loans and debts will crawl out from everywhere:

• Behind the "mega-car" — five-year lease and three lucky charms.

• Behind the "dream vacation" — three loans and card tricks.

• Behind the "ideal" — anxiety, therapy, and pressure from their own echo.

This doesn’t mean everything is an illusion. But it does mean you only see the tip of the iceberg.
You’re comparing your socks to their director’s cut. In this battle, you always end up with pasta. That’s how it works.

How to survive in a world of shiny stories

What to do?

1️⃣ Remember the rules of the game

Caught yourself thinking "it’s not like that for me" — remind yourself: editing, editing, and more editing. This isn’t life, it’s 15 seconds of gloss with glitter.

2️⃣ Cut down on contact

The less your eyes get glued to the feed — the deeper you breathe. Give yourself a "digital fasting day" — no stories, no memes.

3️⃣ Look at your own weekdays

Write down three reasons to be grateful for the day every evening.
Not for someone else’s yachts, but for your own crumbs of happiness. Real ones.

4️⃣ Talk to real people

Live conversation is great at busting Insta-illusions.
Everyone has their own cockroaches, they just don’t post them in stories.

In the horny finale

Instagram trains us to want what’s someone else’s, and more glamorous.

But in reality, life is not a highlight, but an endless stew.
It’s full of weekdays, stains, fatigue, and boredom. And that’s beautiful.
You’re not worse than others. You’re just living, not editing.

Remember: On Insta — Bali. In life — debts. In the feed — filters. In reality — happiness in small things.
Flip your perspective. And finally, start chewing your own apple.