You are what you consume !
I have been thinking about writing this post for a very long time cause I see it every single day affecting people’s lives in every way possible. Some people are unknowingly sabotaging their lives due to their lack of knowledge.
I will start this with one line from one of my favourite movies, INCEPTION. “What is the most resilient parasite?
Bacteria? A virus? An intestinal worm? An idea. Resilient… highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain, it’s almost impossible to eradicate. An idea that is fully formed – fully understood – that sticks; right in there somewhere.”
In this world, everything is an idea. Especially every intersubjective reality is an idea.
I know you must have watched this film, but you never pay attention to this line. But let me tell you a big fact.
This line defines more than 70% of human activity. Most of the things we do, believe, pay attention, fight over most of our lives are THIS.
We live our lives but never actually think about these things properly. We consume content (books, movies, social media, friends group, political ideology ) on what we come across in the journey of life for instance we go to school, collage make friends, watch movie what is trending, consume product what has been marketed to us travel places what travel vloggers has sold us etc. only very few people pay attention to this & choose what is relevant to them.
In developmental psychology, there is a classic debate between nature & nurture. This is what comes under nurture. We are not really sure which one is more powerful, Nature or Nurture (genes VS environment ). However, all people agree on the fact that the environment plays a huge role in people’s development & continues to influence forever.
Why am I talking about this? Cause TIME IS LIMITED.
If environment—what we’re surrounded by—shapes our beliefs, our attitudes, our desires, and even our fears, then content is one of the most potent elements of that environment. And in the modern age, we are consuming content more than ever. We are constantly plugged into the digital stream: scrolling, watching, listening, absorbing. But how often do we stop and ask: What am I really feeding my mind?
Let’s go back to that line from Inception—“An idea is the most resilient parasite.”
It may sound poetic in a film, but it is scientifically and psychologically accurate. An idea, once planted with enough emotional charge or social reinforcement, can take root deep in the unconscious mind. It begins to shape the way we perceive reality—what we consider possible, what we believe is “normal,” and even what we think of ourselves.
Every click is a vote. Every scroll is a signal. Every conversation is a download.
The ideas we consume—whether consciously or passively—become part of our inner architecture. This is why what you consume, in every sense of the word, defines who you become.
The Invisible Curriculum of Everyday Life
Most people assume that they’re making “free” choices. That they have opinions because they thought about them logically. But if you investigate deeply, you’ll notice something surprising:
Many of your thoughts were never originally yours.
They were borrowed, adopted, and downloaded.
Installed by culture, society, media, religion, or peer groups.
In education, we often talk about the “hidden curriculum”—the lessons that aren’t formally taught but are silently absorbed, like how to conform, how to behave, how to compete. But there’s also an invisible curriculum in life—what we learn just by being in a culture.
For instance:
• The way beauty is portrayed in ads changes how people feel about their bodies.
• The constant promotion of hustle culture makes people associate rest with laziness.
• Political propaganda, whether subtle or aggressive, polarizes people into tribes.
And it doesn’t stop at media. Even your friend group is a form of content. The people you regularly talk to are constantly shaping your outlook. If your conversations are mostly gossip, memes, and complaining, then you are bathing your brain in that reality. If your group talks about ideas, creativity, or growth, your mind expands with it.
Neuroplasticity: The Brain’s Response to Content
There’s a reason why scientists say, “Neurons that fire together, wire together.” The brain is not a fixed machine; it is plastic. It rewires itself based on input. If you regularly consume violent or sensational media, your nervous system becomes wired for stress and hyper-alertness. If you read philosophy or watch thoughtful content, your critical thinking circuits grow stronger.
This is not a metaphor. It is literally how your brain changes.
We now know that dopamine plays a massive role in how we get hooked to certain kinds of content—short-form videos, fast-paced music, aggressive political takes, endless reels. These things are engineered to hijack your attention and reward system.
But here’s the dangerous part: whatever you feed attention to grows.
Feed your attention to chaos, and your mind becomes chaotic.
Feed your attention to beauty and wisdom, and your mind becomes more beautiful and wise.
The Myth of “It’s Just Entertainment”
How many times have you heard someone say:
“It’s just a movie.”
“It’s just a meme.”
“It’s just a song.”
But is it just that?
Entertainment is never “just” entertainment. It is a vehicle for values, identities, and worldviews. When you watch a movie, you’re not only following a story—you’re absorbing emotional scripts. When you follow an influencer, you’re not just enjoying their content—you’re slowly integrating their way of thinking.
Everything you consume is either:
• Reinforcing who you are,
• Or reshaping who you are becoming.
See any big personality interview or follow them on social media, observe their content consumption behaviour & then see their work. You will understand what I am talking about.
Nurture: The Silent Sculptor
As I mentioned earlier, developmental psychology debates nature vs. nurture. While genetics (nature) sets certain boundaries, it is nurture—the environment—that determines how far one grows within those boundaries. And in the 21st century, content is one of the most dominant forms of nurture.
You may not be able to change your DNA, but you can absolutely choose your influences.
This is a radical shift in responsibility. It means:
• You can decide which ideas get to live inside your mind.
• You can curate your feed as consciously as you curate your clothes.
• You can unfollow people who feed your insecurity.
• You can cut off exposure to media that promotes fear or hate.
The Path to Conscious Consumption
So what does it mean to live wisely in this hyper-content world?
It means becoming a conscious consumer of content.
It means taking charge of what you allow into your mental diet.
Just like junk food slowly destroys the body, junk content erodes your clarity, your confidence, and your emotional balance.
And just like nutrition heals the body, good content nourishes your inner world.
So what to do? Here are a few ways to begin:
Last night I was watching a podcast of Lex Fridman with Pavel Durov (CEO of Telegram), he was talking about one thing which really resonates with me, whenever you watch anything, ask one question – “who is getting benefited as I am watching this? ”
1. Audit your feed: Look at who you follow. What are they feeding you—growth or distraction?
2. Question viral trends: Ask yourself—what belief is this trend pushing? Do I agree with it?
3. Limit mindless scrolling: Time is not just money, it’s life energy. Guard it fiercely.
4. Surround yourself with thinkers: Online or offline, be around those who elevate the conversation.
5. Choose wisely: Choose long-form content instead of short-form content.
Final Reflection: You Are the Garden
Think of your mind like a garden.
Every piece of content you consume is either a seed or a weed. Every conversation you have is water or poison. Every belief you hold is either a root that stabilizes you or strangles you.
And guess what? You are the gardener.
You may not have chosen the soil you were born into (your genetics, your upbringing),
But you can choose what you plant. You can choose what you prune. You can choose what you protect.
So protect it because you are not just what you eat. You are what you think. You are what you feel. You are what you consume.
So, somebody wants to be an Austonut or an engineer or doctor growing up, but watching Friends back to back as a teenager vs somebody watching The Big Bang Theory (both are American sitcoms) will have differences. This is just a small example.
See it for yourself in your surroundings, as I have discussed earlier.
Be careful what you let in.
Because your future depends on it.
