What if your self-worth has quietly been outsourced?

In this Weirdly Personal episode, I’m unpacking the validation loop - that exhausting cycle of chasing approval, likes, or praise even when we know it’s making us miserable.

I get into how our need for validation isn’t a personality flaw, but a learned pattern shaped by our childhood and reinforced by a culture that rewards traditional progress at one of the stickiest times of our lives.

From the dopamine hit of social media to the performance of dating and work success, I explore why our thirties can feel like a constant test of “am I doing enough?”

We’ll cover:

🔁 How the need for external validation is a learned

🔁 Why it feels so heavy in our thirties

🔁 The cost of living for likes, promotions, or praise

🔁 Research-backed ways to shift from external to internal validation

This one’s for anyone who’s ever found themselves looking to everyone else for answers or playing for the applause instead of their own joy.

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📲 Share it with someone who’s struggling to escape the validation loop.