Grass Is Greener
Or: How understanding insides and outsides is the real superpower
There’s a meme that regularly makes its way around social media. Perhaps you’ve seen it? It looks something like this:
Most often attributed to Australian Neil Barringham, it’s usually accompanied by a beautiful landscape photo which makes it feel even more inviting and bucolic. It’s a quote that’s often used as something empowering and positive. On the surface, it may be, but in my perspective, it’s actually a bit snarky. (Seriously, ask a friend to say it to you and see how it makes you feel.)
In truth, it actually feels more like a passive-aggressive response to someone who is longing for a different life, one that often looks better than their own typically exemplified by the expression: The grass is greener on the other side of the fence. The background of that phrase is pretty old and actually rather interesting. Its origin is attributed to something the Greek poet Ovid wrote over 2,000 years ago: