True personal growth is learning to live for oneself rather than being controlled by others' opinions. The reason you feel anxious, self-critical, and afraid of comparison is because you take others' evaluations as the standard to judge yourself. But "Hell is other people" reminds us: overvaluing others' opinions will only cause us to lose our freedom. In fact, people are always free; it's just that many times we choose to compromise, settle, and live repetitively, trapping ourselves. True freedom is not about having countless choices, but about having the courage to refuse unsuitable people and things and to stay true to your core values. As awareness increases, one might become less conformist, but being clear-headed and independent inherently means accepting loneliness. Instead of living numbingly through blind competition and following the crowd, it's better to face pain with clarity and figure out what you truly want. Ultimately, the kind of person you become depends on your choices and actions; life is not defined by others, but lived step by step by yourself.