I recently started binge watching Tales from the Crypt. It’s an old show I loved as a child and it’s been released to stream on Shudder.
It’s been decades since I’ve seen many of the episodes, so it’s like I’m seeing them for the first time. As I watch the episodes in chronological order, I am seeing a theme: characters who would do anything due to FOMO, or fear of missing out.
FOMO comes in different forms, but it’s rooted in the desire or need to have it all and be like everyone else/fit in. Some people need to have the trendiest clothes, shoes, watches, etc. Others need to be at every event, concert, meeting, etc.
There is a risk to having FOMO. In Tales from the Crypt, the characters did whatever it took to get what they wanted, including murder. For them, the price to have it all almost always resulted in their death. You see, they thought someone else had it better than them. They thought the people around them were winning at life and being handed all the prizes. If they had just not gone if they weren’t invited or if they were just happy with who they were and what they had, misfortune and death would not have found them.
In life, sometimes missing out can save your life. You ever hear of those stories of people running late and missing a horrible accident they may have been in if they were on time?
Missing out can open doors that you may have overlooked because you were hyper-focused on fitting in with a crowd. Missing out can also activate parts of your brain that you can use to dig into your actual likes and dislikes so that even if you’re missing out, you can fill the time with something valuable in a deeper way.
You’re not missing out if you don’t have the latest and greatest thing or you’re not traveling and doing things that’s trendy. It’s actually the moments when you can break free from societal pressures and breathe.
It’s natural to have FOMO, but allowing it to take up space in your life can lead you down a path where you lose sight of yourself.
I say no mo FOMO because it’s a reminder to pause and ask yourself if it’s worth it before allowing your feelings take you down a path of envy. No mo FOMO because you are always where you should be.
Look Within 