Climb Every Mountain

Climb every mountain,

Search high and low,

Follow every byway,

Every path you know.

-The Sound of Music: Climb Every Mountain

A beautiful song from The Sound of Music sung by Mother Abbess to inspire Maria to find her dream and to face her challenges head on. However, climbing every mountain doesn't always lead you to a good place. What am I even talking about? Social climbing. We all know it. That girl trying to become friends with the popular crowd, the man sucking up to his boss...it's human nature to want to advance in life. But really, what is the point of social climbing?

Congratulations. You made it to the top of the hierarchy. What did you win? Lots of people hating you. Yes, jealousy of another's success brings anger and hatred, but I'm not talking about random people envying you (falsely envying you I might add). I'm talking about those friends that you left behind to climb to the top. Strangers now perceive you as cool and popular, but being popular doesn't necessarily mean you have a lot of friends, it just looks like you have a lot of friends. You really have no one and you're probably surrounded around people who will sell you out in a second to save their own ass. Even if you wanted to make new, genuine friends again, you better watch out for that other social climber that wants to be your friend to knock you out of your top spot.

Oh and gossip is always fun. Those constant whispers about your personal life behind your back, people making fun of how snobby you've become. Wait. How did they know all that stuff? Easy my dear, you're on the top, meaning nothing is a secret anymore. There's always someone on the inside waiting to tell the world when you slip up. So it could be embarrassing for you, but it's free entertainment for the rest of us. 

So social climbing isn't all that glamorous. You may think you're hot shit because you're that shark at the top of the food chain, but notice how you're alone and all of those minnows are swimming together.