Lucky Fools— when perceived “delusion” and “incompetence” leads you on a path to success.
23 December 2025
My Loyal Reader,
What part of yourself have you been quietly negotiating away just to keep the peace — your voice, your certainty, your truth? And when the world pushes back, do you recognize the moment as a threat, or as a test of who you really are?
This is a space where inner truth is treated with reverence, where self-image is not something you perform for others, but something you protect for yourself. This reflection explores what it means to stay true to your beliefs and maintain a strong self-image in the face of adversity — not loudly, not dramatically, but with quiet, unshakable certainty.
We live in a culture that celebrates rebellion but rarely speaks about restraint. It praises those who fight outwardly, but often overlooks those who hold their ground inwardly. Yet some of the most powerful forms of self-alignment happen not in protest, but in stillness.
One of the clearest historical examples of this kind of strength lived centuries ago, under the weight of institutional authority. Galileo Galilei was not trying to provoke anyone. He was observing, measuring, recording what his eyes and instruments revealed. What he saw contradicted what the world believed to be true. When he spoke, he was not challenging power — he was describing reality. But reality, when it threatens authority, is rarely welcomed.
Galileo was isolated, interrogated, and ultimately forced to publicly recant his findings. The world demanded that he deny what he knew. And he did — outwardly. Internally, however, something remarkable happened. His self-image remained intact. He did not lose trust in his perception simply because it was rejected. His body complied, but his inner truth did not collapse.
This distinction matters. Staying true to yourself does not always mean fighting. Sometimes it means knowing who you are even when you are not allowed to say it out loud.
Centuries later, in a very different arena, a similar psychological test played out under cultural rather than religious authority. Lady Gaga entered the public eye as something the world did not know how to categorize. Her appearance, her sound, her refusal to soften herself for acceptance made her an easy target for ridicule. She was dismissed as excessive, strange, unserious. The pressure to adapt, to edit, to dilute was constant.
And yet, she did not abandon her self-image. She evolved, but she did not erase herself. Like Galileo, she trusted her internal authority more than public consensus. She did not wait to be understood. She continued embodying her truth until the world adjusted around her.
What connects these two lives is not fame or talent, but coherence. Both demonstrate that self-image is not built through approval. It is built through repetition — the repeated choice to trust yourself even when you are questioned, misunderstood, or asked to conform.
Adversity has a way of destabilizing identity. When pressure rises, the temptation is to fracture — to become smaller, quieter, more acceptable. But strong self-image does not require defense. It requires presence. It requires the ability to stay internally aligned when external circumstances challenge your sense of self.
The question this reflection leaves you with is simple, but not easy: where are you being asked to abandon yourself? And more importantly, what would happen if you stayed?
Truth does not disappear because it is unpopular. Identity does not weaken because it is questioned. Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is remain still while the world argues.
Learn to love yourself and trust the process.
Iryna Wood, the founder of Gemini Near Me app, with a 24/7 AI pocket counselor, who’s always there for you.
