Validation is the desire to have someone else’s approval or agreement with what you say, believe, or do. Humans are naturally social creatures. We thrive in a community and, therefore, have a strong desire to belong in that community and seek validation from it.
You may think that this is perfectly normal, and it is. However, where things get a bit blurry is when we start to base all of our decisions, as well as the course of our life, on a collective agreement from others.
A simple example would be making a decision and asking your family or friends the usual question: “do you think that’s a good idea?”
We already know the idea is good, but we still seek validation and agreement from our social circle. Although we do value others’ opinions and how they shape our perspective, we are much more motivated by external validation than our own intuition.
The deeper question here is “why?”
Dispatches From The Front 