The Fear of Missing Out Is Just a Misunderstood Maya!
Ankita Rai | Tue, 10 Jun 2025
The article explores how the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), heightened by social media, is a modern version of the ancient Indian concept of maya illusion. FOMO creates anxiety by making us believe others are living better lives, while maya distorts reality through perception and desire. Both cause suffering by fostering comparison, attachment, and dissatisfaction. The solution lies in self-awareness, recognizing that curated online lives are not reality, and seeking happiness within. Overcoming FOMO, like dispelling maya, requires mindfulness, authentic connection, and gratitude, ultimately leading to inner peace and liberation from illusion.
( Image credit : Pexels )
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In a world ruled by pings, reels, likes, and endless scrolls, it’s easy to feel like life is happening elsewhere. You look at someone else’s beach vacation, their startup success, or even their brunch photos—and something twists inside. That gnawing feeling is what we call FOMO the fear of missing out. But what if this modern-day anxiety isn't just a digital-age phenomenon? What if it's the latest mask worn by something ancient maya, the illusion of reality as taught in Indian philosophy? This isn’t just about screens and scrolling. It’s about how we see ourselves. And how often, we get it entirely wrong.
FOMO: More Than Just Social Anxiety
At its core, FOMO is the feeling that something better is happening elsewhere and that you’re being left behind. It plays out in ways big and small: not being invited to a party, not buying that stock at the right time, not traveling enough, networking enough, succeeding fast enough. Social media intensifies this. It serves us only the highlight reels of others’ lives: the proposal but not the heartbreak before it, the business win but not the late nights behind it, the glow but not the grind. It creates a distorted mirror, and we keep staring measuring our behind-the-scenes against someone else’s best moments. Psychologically, this takes a toll. FOMO isn’t a quirky habit it can fuel anxiety, sleeplessness, burnout, and depression. It chips away at self-worth, making us feel like we're always one step behind, never quite enough. But what if this panic of missing out isn’t about the events or milestones themselves? What if it’s about a false belief a trick of the mind?
Maya: The Original Illusion
In Vedantic thought, maya is the illusion that the ever-changing world we see and experience is the ultimate reality. It isn’t saying that the world doesn’t exist it’s saying we’re perceiving it wrong. Maya clouds our vision, making us think that names, forms, and external events define who we are. Maya is why we get entangled in ego, why we chase things we don’t truly need, and why we fear losing things that were never ours to begin with. It’s the snake-in-the-rope metaphor: in the darkness, you think the rope is a snake and panic. But the moment the light is switched on, the truth is obvious and the fear disappears. Maya is that darkness. And FOMO, in many ways, is just a modern darkness a belief that joy, purpose, or connection is always elsewhere.
FOMO Is Maya Wearing Lipstick and Wi-Fi
Social media is today’s maya. It convinces us that curated feeds are complete truths. That everyone’s life is more exciting, fulfilling, or meaningful than ours. That we must constantly do more, be more, consume more to be enough. Like maya, FOMO traps us in a cycle: we fear we’re missing out, so we consume more content, which makes us feel worse, which leads us to seek validation again. It’s a digital samsara. And just as maya makes us identify with the body and ego instead of the higher Self, FOMO makes us identify with external moments, not internal peace. We start to measure our worth by followers, invites, and visibility—not by authenticity, stillness, or contentment.
Breaking Free: How to See Through the Illusion
The solution isn’t to delete your accounts or escape to the Himalayas (though that sounds tempting). The antidote to FOMO, like maya, lies in self-awareness.In Vedanta, freedom comes not from running away but from seeing clearly. Similarly, to overcome FOMO, we must:
On a larger scale, both maya and FOMO create collective delusion. As a society, we overvalue visibility, success, and speed. We mistake activity for meaning, and applause for truth. Marketers know this. They exploit FOMO with flash sales, limited drops, countdowns, and curated influencer stories. “If you don’t buy now, you’ll regret it forever.” But regret is manufactured. So is urgency. So is most of what we chase. Maya is not just philosophical, it’s political, commercial, and psychological. And the only way to not be manipulated by it is to see through it.
From FOMO to Freedom
The beauty of Indian philosophy is that it doesn’t dismiss the world it teaches you to see it for what it is. It gives you tools: meditation, reflection, inner inquiry. And those tools are as relevant today as ever. Freedom from FOMO isn’t about having more it’s about needing less. Not in a minimalist, aesthetic way, but in the soul’s way: knowing that nothing real can be taken from you. To quote the Bhagavad Gita: “That which is real never ceases to be. That which is unreal never truly was.” Let that sink in the next time your phone buzzes.
FOMO is real in its impact, but it is built on illusion on maya. It convinces you that life is happening elsewhere. But Vedanta reminds you that everything you seek is already within. You are not missing out. You are simply being invited to wake up. And in that moment of waking—of seeing clearly the rope is just a rope. The fear is gone. And you are, finally, free.
Unlock insightful tips and inspiration on personal growth, productivity, and well-being. Stay motivated and updated with the latest at My Life XP.
FOMO: More Than Just Social Anxiety
fear of missing out
( Image credit : Pexels )
At its core, FOMO is the feeling that something better is happening elsewhere and that you’re being left behind. It plays out in ways big and small: not being invited to a party, not buying that stock at the right time, not traveling enough, networking enough, succeeding fast enough. Social media intensifies this. It serves us only the highlight reels of others’ lives: the proposal but not the heartbreak before it, the business win but not the late nights behind it, the glow but not the grind. It creates a distorted mirror, and we keep staring measuring our behind-the-scenes against someone else’s best moments. Psychologically, this takes a toll. FOMO isn’t a quirky habit it can fuel anxiety, sleeplessness, burnout, and depression. It chips away at self-worth, making us feel like we're always one step behind, never quite enough. But what if this panic of missing out isn’t about the events or milestones themselves? What if it’s about a false belief a trick of the mind?
Maya: The Original Illusion
Maya
( Image credit : Pexels )
In Vedantic thought, maya is the illusion that the ever-changing world we see and experience is the ultimate reality. It isn’t saying that the world doesn’t exist it’s saying we’re perceiving it wrong. Maya clouds our vision, making us think that names, forms, and external events define who we are. Maya is why we get entangled in ego, why we chase things we don’t truly need, and why we fear losing things that were never ours to begin with. It’s the snake-in-the-rope metaphor: in the darkness, you think the rope is a snake and panic. But the moment the light is switched on, the truth is obvious and the fear disappears. Maya is that darkness. And FOMO, in many ways, is just a modern darkness a belief that joy, purpose, or connection is always elsewhere.
FOMO Is Maya Wearing Lipstick and Wi-Fi
fear of missing out
( Image credit : Pexels )
Social media is today’s maya. It convinces us that curated feeds are complete truths. That everyone’s life is more exciting, fulfilling, or meaningful than ours. That we must constantly do more, be more, consume more to be enough. Like maya, FOMO traps us in a cycle: we fear we’re missing out, so we consume more content, which makes us feel worse, which leads us to seek validation again. It’s a digital samsara. And just as maya makes us identify with the body and ego instead of the higher Self, FOMO makes us identify with external moments, not internal peace. We start to measure our worth by followers, invites, and visibility—not by authenticity, stillness, or contentment.
Breaking Free: How to See Through the Illusion
it is important to get rid of this illusion
( Image credit : Pexels )
The solution isn’t to delete your accounts or escape to the Himalayas (though that sounds tempting). The antidote to FOMO, like maya, lies in self-awareness.In Vedanta, freedom comes not from running away but from seeing clearly. Similarly, to overcome FOMO, we must:
- Acknowledge the illusion: Understand that what you’re seeing is a partial, often filtered version of reality.
- Reconnect with the Self: Realize that your worth isn’t defined by external events. Who you are is deeper than what you do or who sees it.
- Practice contentment (santosha): This is not passive acceptance, but active gratitude. It means choosing to see what is instead of what isn’t.
- Limit input, deepen presence: Spend less time absorbing others’ lives and more time living your own. Mindfulness is not just a buzzword—it’s a rebellion against the illusion. Even simple shifts—like logging off for an hour, journaling your actual joys, or catching up with a friend offline begin to break the spell.
maya
( Image credit : Pexels )
On a larger scale, both maya and FOMO create collective delusion. As a society, we overvalue visibility, success, and speed. We mistake activity for meaning, and applause for truth. Marketers know this. They exploit FOMO with flash sales, limited drops, countdowns, and curated influencer stories. “If you don’t buy now, you’ll regret it forever.” But regret is manufactured. So is urgency. So is most of what we chase. Maya is not just philosophical, it’s political, commercial, and psychological. And the only way to not be manipulated by it is to see through it.
From FOMO to Freedom
freedom
( Image credit : Pexels )
The beauty of Indian philosophy is that it doesn’t dismiss the world it teaches you to see it for what it is. It gives you tools: meditation, reflection, inner inquiry. And those tools are as relevant today as ever. Freedom from FOMO isn’t about having more it’s about needing less. Not in a minimalist, aesthetic way, but in the soul’s way: knowing that nothing real can be taken from you. To quote the Bhagavad Gita: “That which is real never ceases to be. That which is unreal never truly was.” Let that sink in the next time your phone buzzes.
In Closing: Turn the Light On
FOMO is real in its impact, but it is built on illusion on maya. It convinces you that life is happening elsewhere. But Vedanta reminds you that everything you seek is already within. You are not missing out. You are simply being invited to wake up. And in that moment of waking—of seeing clearly the rope is just a rope. The fear is gone. And you are, finally, free.
Unlock insightful tips and inspiration on personal growth, productivity, and well-being. Stay motivated and updated with the latest at My Life XP.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What is FOMO?FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is the anxiety that others are having rewarding experiences from which you are absent.
- How is FOMO related to the concept of maya?FOMO is a modern form of maya, as both create illusions that make us believe happiness lies outside ourselves.
- How can one overcome FOMO?Overcoming FOMO involves recognizing the illusion, focusing on authentic connections, and practicing gratitude.
