When We Forget Ourselves

The Quiet Cost of Losing Touch with Who We Are

Pegah Malekpour Alamdari

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In the rush of daily life, it’s easy to lose sight of who we are. We get caught up in the roles we play — parent, partner, professional, friend — and the expectations that come with them. We push ourselves to meet deadlines, to care for others, to keep up appearances, and in the process, we often forget to tend to the most important relationship we have: the one with ourselves. It’s a quiet kind of loss, one that sneaks up on us, leaving us feeling disconnected, unfulfilled, and often, inexplicably empty. When we forget ourselves, the cost is far greater than we realize.

Photo by Carolina on Unsplash

Forgetting ourselves doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a gradual process, a slow erosion of our identity as we prioritize everything and everyone else over our own needs, desires, and well-being. It starts small — skipping a hobby we love because we’re too busy, ignoring our own feelings to keep the peace, putting off self-care because there’s just too much to do. But over time, these small sacrifices add up, and we wake up one day wondering who we’ve become.

When we forget ourselves, we lose touch with what makes us feel alive. We stop listening to that inner voice that knows what we need, what we love, and what we’re passionate about. Instead, we become consumed by the demands of the outside world, measuring…

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