Belief → Will → Action → Habit → Character → Destiny
"Life begins when you realize that you are not just who you are, you are also who you can become. You are a being who is also becoming. Life begins when you truly realize that you are free to act and become who you want to be."
I was realizing how many personal and interpersonal issues ultimately traced back to feeling like one has little to no agency. Everything from confidence to motivation can be traced back to agency, at least to some extent.
The people I admire most have a way of escaping the bubble of culture. Sometimes via religion; sometimes via old books; sometimes via time in nature. Without such an escape, propaganda wins. You stop thinking for yourself. Modern delusions grow into an all-consuming mind virus.