You forget who you really are

"The effect of life in society is to complicate and confuse our existence, making us forget who we really are by causing us to become obsessed with what we are not." - Quote from Zhuang Zi

Zhuang Zi's quote suggests that living in society can lead us to lose touch with our true selves by immersing us in external expectations and roles that complicate our lives. This societal influence often confuses our sense of identity, causing us to become preoccupied with what we are not—such as status, appearance, or material success—rather than focusing on our authentic essence. By becoming obsessed with these external aspects, we risk forgetting who we truly are and what genuinely matters to us.