If a person was constantly telling you, “You will fail,” “It will not end well,” “Give up,” “It’s over,” you would unfollow, unfriend, block and ignore them.

This “person” is your inner voice. Why did we normalize being this person to ourselves?

It may sound dramatic when I take a meme and use it to prove that our generation has fatalistic thinking. However, the popularity of this meme itself tells me about the pessimistic mentality of this generation.

The meme being referenced here is an image of the white rabbit from “Alice in Wonderland” pointing at a pocket watch. It is paired with the phrase “All roads lead to Rome.”

The phrase means that all different paths lead to the same outcome. Negative outcome or a positive outcome? That is your choice.

The phrase originates from the Roman Empire’s road network. All its major routes were paved to connect to the capital city. “Millarium Aureum” was considered the beginning of all roads, and distances were measured relative to it.

The rabbit is what initially brings Alice into Wonderland. In the story, it represents curiosity and the urge to discover. The image of the rabbit pointing at a pocket watch represents urgency. As if it is saying, “It is about time.”

This image and caption put together become the face of the “expect nothing” mindset. The following is how we have started to think: “Whichever path I take, I will end up doomed anyway. The bad ending is inevitable. Opportunities will fail. Relationships will collapse. Hard work will not matter. Good things are temporary.”

Another concept that I believe goes with this meme is “Memento Mori.” This Latin phrase means “Remember you must die.” A similar Arabic phrase, “Kullu Nafsin Za’iqatul maut,” means “Every soul shall taste death.”

The phrases are not to promote nihilism. They are asking us to live life fully but not recklessly. I believe it is essential for us to understand these concepts.

Pessimism has become a preemptive shield. “If I expect nothing, nothing can hurt me.”

This mindset is silently destroying us. What we think is our protection is sabotaging us.

The Rabbit and Rome meme revealed something deeper. We normalized hopelessness. We see negative outcomes as inevitable. Our brain turns anxiety into prophecy. Then your prophecy manifests into reality.

Let us break out of the clutches of “doomed” mentality.

Name the voice
Remember our friend from the beginning of this article? Name them. Paulo Coelho calls it “The Other”. The hardest part is blocking them. You need to actively fight the negative thoughts.

Ask yourself, “Is this fear a fact or is it a habit?”
Usually, it is the latter. Flip that habit. Always believe that it can go right.

Choose curiosity over catastrophe
As adults, we tend to stop exploring. We follow the paths that have already been paved. Choose small experiments over big expectations. TRY before you conclude.

Expect effort, not outcomes
Expect that you will have to put in the work regardless of failure or success. Effort is controllable. Outcomes are not. So, give it your all and hope for the best.

Mortality is not a deadline
You are not late. You just need to live intentionally. Stop comparing yourself to others. Live life at your own pace. Do not try to catch up with others.

“All roads lead to Rome” was about possibility. Memes twisted their meaning to fatalism. Let us reclaim the original meaning. Choose curiosity. Take the various paths and explore. Stop assuming that it all ends up being the wrong way.