The Feeling You Are Behind in Life – Where Does It Come From?

My dear friends, we live in times where life offers more conveniences than past generations could ever dream about, so shouldn’t aging bring happiness, peace, and harmony with the world instead of the feeling that you are behind in life?

To the contrary, all is the same. People age, and with each passing generation, they seem progressively more and more unhappy with life. A quiet suffering is replaced by existential angst as we find ourselves in greater conflict with the younger generation, at odds with modern technologies and unfamiliar societal standards amid the rapid pace of modern change that defines our time with ever-increasing brutality.

But why should we suffer more? Life today is unquestionably comfortable, with conveniences and luxuries unimaginable to generations that lived before. Shouldn’t age in modern times bring with it an ever-growing sense of satisfaction and happiness, and a deeper inner peace with the world and its people?

Yet reality tells a different story, a much gloomier one.

Let us try to understand this paradox—whether it is a fundamental flaw of human nature or perhaps an error in how we perceive the relationship between the life of an individual and the flow of life as a whole.

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A Modern Paradox: When Life Becomes Longer, Yet Purpose Fades

Not long ago, there was a time when elderly folks were revered, if not praised. Their wisdom served as a beacon of guidance and a well of knowledge for younger generations. I imagine they did not feel like they were behind in life.

Wisdom was drawn from personal experiences and the legacy of life passed down from generation to generation by those who had lived before us. Upon this foundation rested the progress and development of past civilizations.

But that time is gone, blown away by this ever-increasing wind of change. Life in general was short then, and change was painfully slow, allowing every generation to move in step gradually.

Now, in an era of unprecedented technological leaps and societal shifts, the pace of life has beaten to death the rhythm of our previous existence.

Today, we live longer, way longer… But what wisdom do we offer to youngsters as individuals? Nothing, it seems. The generational gap is deep and wide. The contemporary youth draw wisdom from the collective tapestry of knowledge, seldom pausing to consider an individual as a source of wisdom.

This is where the discontent begins.

As soon as a person “loses” social value, their self-esteem goes down the drain as well. With no perception and sense of value or purpose, the decay begins—not only of the body but also of the soul. “The program is completed,” whispers a voice within, “and the body is ready for death and to release the spirit.”

Gloomy, yes—but a truth worth examining. If a life of everlasting purpose existed, could it not be the very “Fountain of Youth” humanity has sought for millennia?

Errors That Make Us Feel Left Behind

The answer lies in a grave misunderstanding— In inconsistencies in how we perceive time, purpose, and life itself. We believe that our life’s purpose is idiosyncratic and “assigned” to an individual by some internal or external agents, and that by the end of life, the purpose is fulfilled, no matter the results.

Inconsistency #1: Believing Our Lives and History Follow Different Timelines and in Different Reference Frames

Imagine life as a train. You do not control it; you are simply thrown into the locomotive, tasked with keeping up as it plunges forward. We must keep up, we must run within this train as fast as the train goes in order not to feel behind in life.

Those who slow down are pushed back. Hesitate, and you will be thrown back. At first, they find themselves in first-class cars—luxurious and comfortable as they are. But eventually, they slip further to the back of the train—into the car where old age reigns.

In these final cars, people cling to the past with desperation, yet all is futile, as they are disconnected from the present and disoriented by modern trends and technologies. Eventually, they become relics of a forgotten time, more often seen as mythology than history.

What can we do? How do we keep in touch with ever-changing life?

True, in an effort to remain “relevant,” some fight the life’s transience back. They keep working, stay fit, and chase every new development they can—but all is fruitless. The stress alone will crush them long before they reach the very end of this train.

What, then, is the solution?

First, we must realize that this approach—running to keep up with the flow of life—is physically impossible.

Inconsistency #2: Believing Our Lives and History Share the Same Timeline and Same Reference Frame

Here is another way people think about life:

At the start of life’s train, in its roaring locomotive, young people look out through the front windows and see the “approaching” future. They are happy; they are enthusiastic. They do not have this feeling of being behind in life. They pedal the engine of humanity eagerly, dreaming of rewards, meaning, and self-fulfillment. But the future never arrives. Enthusiasm fades. There are no rewards for wasted labour, only bruises and tears … they give up. The engine car is loud, chaotic, and thankless. Exhausted, most people abandon it.

They settle into the “first-class cars.” Here, life offers comfort, but at a cost. They no longer see the future—only fleeting, momentary glimpses of life passing by through side windows. Life is passing moment by moment, as fast as the train moves.

No glimpses of the future remain, only the side view of life remains. Some even propagate enjoying “the now,” savouring present moments… Fools.

Few remain there for long. The train’s “sleeping cars” come next, where life grows quiet and dim. Most are “asked” politely by new arrivals to relocate to the “sleeping” cars—“Your time is up, my friend—off you go,” they say. And they move; what else can they do? They become weak and lazy; the last resources of vigour are spent on “enjoying” present moments of ‘now.’ The newcomers desire the taste of luxury.

It is here that most give up. “What is the point?” they ask.

And now they go to a place where there are no windows at all, where the walls are insulated, and the sounds of life are muffled. Insulated from the world, they drift into a sleep-like existence. From there, death takes them—forgotten and discarded by others.

Inconsistency #3: An Illusion of Random Nothingness

Some believe that the train of life is not propelled by individuals pushing it forward, but rather by a relentless thrust—like a jet engine—driven by the countless lives funnelled into its last car. These lives are crushed and expelled through the impeller, leaving behind the residue we call history: the rails on which the train of life seems to run, at least to the observer.

They proclaim that life has nothing to do with purpose, or any other nonsense like this… No, they say: “Just live a little. Sweat, bleed, cry, and die. The death of people is what creates so-called history—the rest is an illusion.”

Inconsistency #4: An Illusion of a Destination

To oppose this perspective, some imagine a grand purpose—a predetermined destination for this train of life. But this, too, is an illusion. There are no rails ahead, nor any behind. The train is not moving toward any meaningful endpoint. It is merely a capsule, drifting through the vacuum of emptiness, propelled only by the desperate efforts of those within it, clinging desperately to the hope that they are moving toward something meaningful, some kind of greater purpose.

This imagination is probably the greatest reason we feel behind in life.

My Vision

For those still with me: We were talking about how not to feel behind in life, about how to live a longer and happier life—how to find the Fountain of Youth, wasn’t that it?

It is clear now that life in the sleeping quarters of this train is short, terrifying, and drenched in shadows. The luxury cars are NICE … but don’t hope to stay there for long. New arrivals flood in daily, squeezing you out, no matter how much you struggle to stay.

The only place that remains is the locomotive. By no means is it luxury; it is loud, drafty, and blindly bright. Danger lurks in every corner, with everything in motion, everything breaking. In this car, there are no friends, no family either—only comrades bound by a singular goal: propelling life forward. Health, wellness, and personal desires—none of it truly matters. … “Hell with it,” they say, as they push on and on until the last ounce of fuel burns away.

Well, apparently, the locomotive is not for me. Too dangerous, too much labour—and for what? … The only guaranteed prize is being forgotten, replaced, and left to repeat the cycle.

It begs the question: Is there another car? Another place on this train of life?

Perhaps there is. The operators—they must exist somewhere, mustn’t they? Those who know the truth, who fear nothing, and live long enough to reach the final destination, whatever it is.

Yet the doors to their room are thick, locked, and impenetrable.

If this train of life is a depiction of humanity’s shared journey, it seems natural to imagine a captain steering it toward some destined endpoint. Yet, as the train moves forward, there’s no evidence of a true commander. The operators may exist, of course, but if they do, they remain locked away, inaccessible, and silent, leaving the passengers to their own devices.

Me? I honestly don’t even want to stir a train that’s going nowhere.

Breaking Free: Realigning Your Reference Frame

What is then left to do so as not to feel like you are behind in life?

To break free? Jump off the train? End life? Nonsense.

That is not an option for many reasons. Hurting people who are close to you is the main one for me. … Plus, the recycling—as soon as you are off … you are back again. What’s the point?

See, most of our sufferings come from assuming that our lives have a fixed reference frame, be it society or humanity at large.

There is only one reference frame, and it is the life of an individual—your life. This is why, no matter how you struggle in life to succeed within any other reference frame, in the end, you only deprecate yourself, gaining nothing but disappointment.

Fear not to leave the masses, to abandon societal dogmas. Do leave; fear not—you will not be thrown into oblivion. The train of society will not disappear.

The Path Forward: Becoming a Self-Fulfilled Individual

Society, humanity, or history as we know it—none of it is moving. All is stationary, all is in spatio-temporal stillness. And in its stillness, it waits for individuals like you to step forward, to grow, and to thrive as self-fulfilled beings.

Humanity’s purpose is to produce seeds … individuals who eventually create fields of new humanity. There is only one movement, and it is individual growth; without it, there is only inertia.

What does it mean to break free? It means choosing to live as an independent individual. It means embracing the purpose that lies within you—not the one imposed by external agents or societal norms. Your purpose is not to fit in. It is to fulfill the ultimate role of humanity: to become “the seed.”

But keep in mind, this journey is not for pleasure, nor for gain. It is for truth. It is for those who dare to ask: “Am I the one? Am I—the seed of a new humanity?”

Become a self-accomplished individual, become a truly happy individual, and you will fulfill the purpose of humanity, which is to create independent individuals. We will do it until one day the seed we create becomes the seed, the cradle of a new humanity.

Fear not to exit the masses. Fear not to step off the train. For the journey toward spiritual and worldly happiness begins the moment you reclaim your life as your own and become the master of your soul. And it is the only way not to feel behind in life.

Are you ready to embrace your individuality and take control of your life’s purpose? Share your thoughts below and subscribe to SoulCredo for more insights on your journey toward lasting happiness and fulfillment.