Back to the jungle?

One thing that needs to change in our society is that there are little, if any, meaningful challenges anywhere

Anytime someone steps out to try something new, even just a little, a bunch of idiots try to shove them back.

People who dress different are laughed at,

A person who has any kind of artistic ambition is automatically told they'll fail by people who never even bothered to look at their work.

Any student who decides to take a year off and travel is told they'll probably get kidnapped or murdered, and if they take the year off their financial and educational future will be ruined.

Back in the day, things were different.  

In the ancient tribes, when a boy reached a certain age he'd be given a spear, and left in the jungle for three days.

 He'd brave the unknown,  learn about the world and himself. When he returned to the tribe, there would be a huge celebration for him and he would be welcomed back into the tribe as a man.

 (Not being sexist here- both genders are capable of doing this- that was just the way it was done in the ancient times)

So I think the reason why we have so many problems with depression and low self-esteem here is because people don't know themselves.  To know yourself, you need challenges.   Do things and achieve things.  REAL challenges, I mean. 

The books always tell us to "learn to love yourself" but how can you "love yourself" if you don't even know who the hell you are in the first place?

So go take a real risk: do some crazy lengthy art project, stand up to some asshole, spend a week in a homeless shelter.  It doesn't have to be that crazy, just something that gets you out of your comfort zone and can look back at it later, thinking, "Wow, that makes me brave" Whatever's good for you.

Our authorities don't encourage anything like this, and so as a consequence our society is fast becoming a nation of wusses.