As Iâm learning more about human behavior while examining my own, I found an interesting fact that would apply to most of the people in the world.
We all want an easy way out.
It starts with a little thing. When we are late for an appointment, we say âTraffic was horrible today!â, âMy mom was sickâ, âI had a really bad headacheâ, or something similar. What well known as a lame excuse. In fact, this lame excuse is much better than the cold fact: âI was just being lazyâ. If A is late for work because the subway wasnât working due to the terrible weather, A can call the office and say âThe train is not working, I have to waitâ without no shame. Because A is stuck in the unsolvable situation that A didnât create. If A slept through alarm, probably A would have compared a few excuses on the way to work.
People would rather be a victim
Starting from the small things, the same mindset applies to the bigger life decisions. Something has to force them to take the action. I thought this passive attitude was a big problem in Korean society. Everyone makes excuses for everything. It looked like âI canâtâ was the answer for everything. I think it is a pretty big problem, but I have found out that a lot of people act like this no matter where they are from.
When I went to my cousinâs wedding two years ago, one of my aunts came up to me and said;
âYou have to get married soon, so I can dress up. When can I wear this again?â
Maybe youâd think she was making a conversation and being friendly, and she was, but I realized again, this was how people usually think. They were forced to dress up because this was a special occasion. Even if they enjoy it, they would rather be seen as a victim of this wonderful day.
When I mentioned I wanted to travel the world, people used to say I couldnât. The people who are living outside of the country are only because their work made them move, not by their choice. Even if they aimed to get the position overseas, thatâs not the story they tell the world. They were victims of the beloved company.
Have you ever wished that some terrible thing to happen when you got a phone call from someone you donât really want to meet? It would be easier to say âmy dog is sickâ than âI donât want to meet youâ, you think?
The people other than you shouldnât make important life decisions for you. We donât owe anything, anyone. But why would you victimizing yourself instead of taking control of your life?
Why canât you dress up nicely when you feel like it, apply for a job overseas because you like the life outside of the country, say no to people you donât want to meet, and travel the world because you dreamt about it for ten years?

Stop making excuses
There are a lot of inspirational articles about world travel, saying stop making excuses. And thatâs true. Because I donât have money, because my job doesnât want me to leave, because I just canât; these are all excuses. Sometimes there are reasons that stop us from leaving, but most of the time itâs an excuse. Not everyone traveling the world has a big fortune. They made a decision based on the priorities in life. Examine your answer. Whatâs more important to you? Whatâs on your priority list?
‘Stop making excuses’ applies to other subjects in life, not only to traveling. Itâs the same logic. When you are standing on the crossroad, would you rather find an excuse not to take one direction, because that would be an easy way out, or step into the one you believe?
Letâs take control over the life
Letâs take control over the life. Stop the victimization. When you need to make a decision, be responsible. Think hard, step forward and make a promise to yourself that you can take any outcome from this decision. Everything is on you. Donât expect anyone to make a decision for you. Stop seeking the excuses and someone to blame. Be responsible is a part of the package to being a grown-up.
Buying a house isnât the only things that make you grown-up; taking a responsibility of the life decision is too. Maybe more.
Well said Juno! It is so easy to fall into the trap of listening to your family or friends who just think that you are crazy for leaving everything behind. When my hubby and I left England for Cambodia 1.5 years ago people thought we were crazy. We had a house, good jobs and people were expecting us to start a family soon. But this wasn’t us. So far I never regretted once having left the rat race behind to try something new.
Wow, this is so true. It’s so easy to come up with excuses. The whole world seems to want to make them for you sometimes. I faced that when building the site. We had a dream, traveling in a different way. And we are doing it! After a whole year of a lot of effort and people thinking it was a too hard to do. But it’s people like you, who take control of life, the ones who I find inspiring. People who stayed home and just made excuses… they never inspired anyone.
Amen sista!
Wow, that post is very insightful.
I’m always amazed when someone with grown kids says “I wish I could live overseas and travel like you but I could never leave my kids.” What a lame excuse. I sometimes want to shake them and say “Your ‘kids’ have their own lives. You need your own!” Well, any excuse will work if you want it to.
They need to read your post. đ
I’ve been loving this introspective posts!!!! I have been sooo tired lately, trying to fit everything in. I cancelled on people last night, went to bed early, worked out this morning… I feel so great! My thing is learning to say “no.” But you are right — it is MY choice. I need to take more control!
You should be a motivational speaker Juno đ
Thank you for articulating what I’ve been trying to explain to family, friends, and colleagues for months. Thank you. #mivida #church #amen
Just came across this post.
Agree that too many people look for excuses to be the victim rather than the victor. Perhaps they think they get more attention being the victim?
Either way, great post and hope many will take your advice!