Description
Life teaches us many lessons, but not all of them are true. From a young age, we absorb ideas from our families, teachers, culture, and society. These ideas shape how we see the world, and over time they harden into beliefs we treat as fact. The problem is, many of these beliefs are incomplete, misleading, or even harmful. They keep us trapped in ways of thinking that stop us from living fully.
The author, Kanwer Singh—better known as Humble the Poet—believes that learning is not enough to grow. Sometimes, we need to unlearn first. By letting go of false stories we’ve been told about happiness, love, success, and truth, we can make space for something deeper and more real.
Happiness
We all want to be happy, but most of us chase it in the wrong way. We’re taught to believe that happiness comes when life is perfect—when we get the right job, find the right partner, earn more money, or avoid problems. But life doesn’t work like that. No matter how hard we try, life is full of challenges. Some are small, like spilling coffee on your laptop, and some are devastating, like losing someone you love. If we believe happiness only comes when there are no problems, we will never find it.
Happiness is not about having everything in place. It is about how we respond to life, especially when things don’t go our way. Unhappiness happens when our expectations don’t match reality. If we expect the world to always follow our plan, we set ourselves up for disappointment. But if we accept reality as it is—good and bad—we leave space for happiness to arise.
We’re also told that happiness comes from having more: more money, more status, more possessions. While money and comfort are important for survival, beyond a certain point, the endless chase for more is a trap. There is always a bigger house, a fancier car, or another milestone to reach. Real happiness doesn’t come from addition, but from subtraction. It comes when we appreciate what we already have and when we realize we need less than we think. Gratitude, presence, and simplicity bring far more peace than chasing the next prize.
Love
Love is another area where false beliefs get in the way. Movies, stories, and culture tell us that true love means finding “the one”—a perfect person who will complete us and make us whole. But relying on someone else to fix our emptiness is dangerous.
The truth is, love begins with ourselves. We spend every moment of our lives with our own mind and heart. If we don’t learn to value and respect ourselves, we can’t expect healthy love from others. Self-love is not selfish; it is the foundation for strong and honest relationships.
When two people come together from a place of self-respect, they are not clinging to each other out of neediness or fear. They are choosing to share life while still standing strong as individuals. Such relationships are built on giving, not just taking. They allow both people to grow, rather than holding each other back.
Confidence, independence, and kindness make us more attractive than desperate longing ever could. When we love ourselves, we stop trying to hand the key to our happiness to someone else. We realize that love is not about completing each other but about walking side by side as complete people.
Success
Success is often glorified as the ultimate goal of life. Society tells us that once we achieve success—whether in money, fame, or career—we will finally feel content. But that is rarely true.
Humble the Poet’s own story proves this. As his audience grew and his reputation improved, he noticed that success didn’t automatically bring him peace or happiness. Instead, it brought new pressures and challenges.
The path to success is not glamorous. It requires effort, persistence, and sacrifice. We can dream big, but dreams only matter if we are willing to take action every single day, even when we are tired, scared, or unsure. Success is not about comfort; in fact, growth often means discomfort. Fear, anxiety, and doubt come along with pushing ourselves beyond our limits.
Another false belief is that money equals success. While money is useful, it is only a tool. Once our basic needs are met, chasing endless wealth can create more problems than solutions. As the saying goes, “more money, more problems.” If money becomes the only measure of success, we risk losing sight of the things that truly matter, like relationships, health, and purpose.
True success is less about external rewards and more about living in alignment with our values, doing work that matters, and continuing to grow as people.
Truth
Perhaps the hardest lesson is about truth itself. Most of us claim to value truth, but in practice, we often avoid it. We prefer comforting illusions over harsh realities. But ignoring truth doesn’t protect us—it only keeps us trapped.
One truth we often deny is that life is temporary. We are all going to die, and yet many cultures treat death as something to hide from. But recognizing our mortality doesn’t have to make us fearful; it can make us grateful. Life is precious because it ends. Knowing this helps us cherish the present moment instead of postponing joy for a future that might never come.
Another difficult truth is that life isn’t fair. Bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people. If we expect justice to always prevail, we will suffer. But if we accept that fairness is not guaranteed, we can choose to live with integrity for its own sake. Being a good person is not about earning rewards from the universe—it is about living in a way that feels true to ourselves.
Truth may be uncomfortable, but it is also freeing. When we face reality as it is, rather than as we wish it to be, we stop wasting energy on illusions. We begin to live with clarity and honesty.
Final Thoughts
Unlearning is not easy. It requires courage to question the stories we’ve been told and the beliefs we’ve carried for years. But the reward is freedom. By letting go of false ideas about happiness, love, success, and truth, we uncover what really matters.
Happiness comes from presence and gratitude, not endless chasing. Love begins with ourselves, not with finding someone else to complete us. Success is about effort, growth, and alignment, not just money or fame. And truth, even when hard, is what ultimately sets us free.
Seeing life clearly means seeing both the beauty and the pain. But only when we accept both can we live fully.