The Glory Chase

Metaphorical Narrative

A runner clutches at ribbons drifting in the wind. Each time one is caught, it unravels in their hands, disappearing like mist. The chase never ends; the ribbons dissolve faster than they can be held. What looked like eternal trophies scatter in the breeze.

Core Insight

Ego drives the pursuit of glory — external recognition, status, legacy. Yet psychology shows that glory is inherently unstable. The hedonic treadmill ensures satisfaction quickly fades; achievements that once defined you lose their power in days or weeks. What felt monumental soon becomes ordinary.

This constant chase keeps executive functions hooked in anticipation cycles. Dopamine spikes in pursuit, then collapses once the ribbon unravels. The result is a life lived in grasping, never grounded in presence. Glory is fleeting, but the energy spent chasing it leaves lasting depletion.

The identity trap whispers: You are the glory you capture. Observer Mode reveals the truth — glory dissolves like mist. Identity shift means stepping off the treadmill, defining worth in living presence rather than ribbons carried by the wind.

Saturday Experiment

1. Identify one “glory goal” you’re chasing.
2. Ask: Will this dissolve as quickly as it arrives?
3. Replace one chase today with an act grounded in presence.

Sunday Reflection

Write in third person:

• Where does this person exhaust themselves chasing ribbons?
• What happens when they value presence over glory?