Doing things for the group versus doing things for yourself.
Go along with the group, in someways this is easier, having a dependable group of friends and social circles, to help you get through life’s ups and downs, comforting you and to gain some advice. Relying on the group to help inform your intentions, thoughts and feelings. But go with the group too much and you lose your voice, find yourself doing things you wouldn’t necessarily do or even think is right, at least for yourself. Find yourself being the median of the group and your own purpose, intention and desire grows less important.
Do things only for yourself, in someways it’s easier, no one to answer to. A clearer connection to your inner-voice. You know what’s good for you and what you think you should do. Not everyone’s experience is the same as yours, and their advice will typically result in the outcome they’ve produced. This means you have to rely on your own decision-making and thought process to help get you to where you want to go. You answer to yourself, but you can be your own harshest critic. Although you can gain the most distance and progression, in the form of self-improvement and progressions more quickly running alone, this world wasn’t mean to be lived alone, self-absorbed in doing your own thing. It can lead to a selfish, narcissistic, solipsist mindset, leaving you always on the outside looking in. Disconnected and unable to connect with the person next to you.
The balance of the two, accepting yourself to be yourself in a group and being accepted by the group to be yourself. Which is hard to do and hard to find. Not a group that wants, needs or compels you to conform, and not being pressured or feel inadequate or insecure that you don’t and stay different.