It is a classic:
because something is seemingly accepted by the masses, we think it must be good.
We live by imitating others, and so we adopt lifestyles that have nothing to recommend them.
We have things in our homes because we wanted to be like everyone else: a jacket, a coat, the latest smartphone, an espresso machine, a yoga mat...
~
“How many things are superfluous we fail to realize until they begin to be wanting; we merely used them not because we needed them but because we had them. And how much do we acquire simply because our neighbours have acquired such things, or because most men possess them!
Many of our troubles may be explained from the fact that we live according to a pattern, and, instead of arranging our lives according to reason, are led astray by convention.
There are things which, if done by the few, we should refuse to imitate; yet when the majority have begun to do them, we follow along – just as if anything were more honourable because it is more frequent! Furthermore, wrong views, when they have become prevalent, reach, in our eyes, the standard of righteousness. ”
~
So the error remains an error, even if it's commonplace, even if it becomes the norm: It may adorn itself with the insignia of wisdom, but it's only a mask, a façade.
Maybe it's time, {{username}}, to ask yourself: what objects, behaviors and lifestyles are you pursuing just because they're "normal"? How about making a conscious decision instead of blindly following them, and letting your own analysis guide you instead of a simple desire to fit in?
Seneca isn't here to give you all the answers, but to encourage you to seek your own path by looking beyond appearances and relying on your own reason, by being less and less the echo of others and more and more walking your own path, a path of deep personal reflection and authenticity.