It is when you read new information or constantly watch motivational videos and fall into the illusion that you are developing yourself.
But in reality, that is not the case.
Knowing something does not mean you are doing it.
We are not the person who lives inside our head.
In reality, we are our actions.
We must not fall into the illusion of thinking:
“I know this — therefore, I have already done it.”
For example, you feel sorry for someone. Good — maybe you are a kind person.
But if, according to your situation and ability, you did not help them — not with money, not with a smile, not even with a dua — then pity alone is not equal to real help.
And if you did help, then ask yourself honestly:
Did you do it for your ego, dopamine, people’s praise, likes, comments, or attention?
The same principle applies to income and money.
Halal income is almost always connected to action: work, benefit, responsibility, and real value.
From my personal life, I would add one more thing that seems paradoxical.
When I thought only about money and put money first, I fell into a trap. It felt like I was moving in circles, and that circle became narrower and tighter every day.
It is important to understand: money should not be the center of our life.
We were not created only for that.
Money is a tool. Through it, you can do both good and bad.
The same principle works in other areas of life too.
If you put a person — for example, a girl — at the center of your life, you will see the same paradox.
If you chase charisma too much, you actually lose it.
That is also a paradox.
Another example: you watch religious videos, agree with everything, like them, send them to friends, and repost them.
But in practice, you do not act upon any of it.
This may be a sign that you are not doing it to change yourself, but for the dopamine you receive from your environment:
“Look how God-fearing he is.”
“Look how smart he is.”
“Look at the right things he says.”
But in reality, you do not pray.
Or you pray, but for status, image, and ego in front of people.
This may point to a problem with sincerity, discipline, and iman.
You need to honestly understand: for whom are you praying, and why are you truly doing it?
You need to have a conversation with yourself so that ikhlas — true sincerity — appears.
Another example: you know that hijab is fard, but you do not observe it and you keep finding excuses.
But sometimes the truth is that the problem is not a lack of knowledge, but dependence on people’s opinions, attention, likes, comments, and praise.
In the end, we are not angels.
We are all sinners.
And we will not fix ourselves in one day — neither physiologically nor psychologically — because our environment has already had an influence on us.
The main thing is to find the path toward correction, toward a better version of yourself, and toward true self-actualization.
And in my opinion, the most complete path to this is given by Islam.
But know this: there is a great reward in it.
In this life: understanding the meaning of life, independence from people’s opinions and attention, peace of heart, self-confidence, barakah, gratitude, and a sense of happiness in any situation.
This saves a person from chaos in the mind.
And in the next life: Paradise.
Just once, honestly ask yourself:
What is the reason behind your sadness, depression, inner darkness, and chaos in life?
Perhaps you will get closer to the answer.
I hope the readers of this post have reached a level within themselves where they can understand this.
These are my thoughts, my conclusions, and my personal view.
If I am mistaken in anything, correct me.
Read and act.
Free yourself from the slavery of reels, endless content consumption, books without action, and low instincts that make us only consume — but never change.
GPT only corrected my grammar mistakes.