The Wizard of Oz and the Lie at the Heart of our Culture
Why chasing validation is a trap and how to break free from the illusion.
We live in a culture shaped by ego, where brands insist we are incomplete, careers demand constant performance, and social expectations whisper, “You are not enough unless you prove it.”
It is Dorothy and her friends in The Wizard of Oz, wandering in search of someone powerful enough to give them what they believe they lack.
But what if the Wizard is not a person at all?
What if the Wizard is the ego-driven culture we live in, a culture that profits when we doubt ourselves, compare ourselves, and hand our power away?
And what if, like Dorothy, you have had the power all along?
The Illusion of “Not Enough”
From childhood, we are taught to earn our worth. As adults, We look to bosses, brands, institutions, and influencers to tell us who we are. Just like the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion searching for intelligence, love, and courage.
The culture knows this.
Big business knows this.
The algorithm definitely knows this.
So the system keeps repeating the same story:
You are not smart enough.
You are not successful enough.
You are not attractive enough.
You are not wealthy enough.
You are not enough.
Meanwhile, companies profit from our insecurity.
Dorothy and her friends fell for the same illusion.
So do we.
We chase job titles, status symbols, relationships, achievements, and validation. All of it becomes proof that we belong, that we matter, that we are good enough.
It is exhausting.
It is endless.
And it is designed that way.
The Man Behind the Curtain
The moment Toto pulls back the curtain is the moment the spell breaks.
The Wizard was not powerful. He only looked powerful.
Our culture works the same way.
The CEO is not a superhero.
The influencer is not as put-together as they seem.
The perfect couple is not perfect.
The algorithm is not wise.
The markets are not moral.
The brands do not care about your worth. They care about your wallet.
The Wizard’s booming voice is simply the ego, both the collective ego and the one inside us, amplifying fear, comparison, and inadequacy.
Once you see it, you cannot unsee it.
The curtain is thin.
The Wizard is small.
And the power was never his.
The Real Magic Trick
The Wizard’s greatest trick is not the smoke or the fire.
It is getting you to forget who you already are.
The Scarecrow had wisdom.
The Tin Man had compassion.
The Lion had courage.
Dorothy had the way home.
The qualities they sought were already within them. They only needed to stop giving authority to the illusion.
The same is true for us.
You do not need a brand, a title, or another milestone to grant your worth.
You do not need permission to belong.
You do not need the next upgrade or achievement to matter.
You only need to remember who you already are beneath the noise of an ego-driven culture.
That is when life begins to change.
Success becomes self-defined.
Worth becomes inherent.
Freedom becomes possible.
And the culture loses its grip.
Five ways to step out of the illusion
Waking up from an ego-driven culture is not instant. It is a practice, a steady returning home to yourself.
Here are five ways to begin.
1. Notice who or what you are giving authority to.
Pause and ask yourself:
Whose approval am I seeking?
What voice is judging me right now?
Who told me I need this title, lifestyle, or achievement to matter?
Every time you hand someone else the power to define your worth, the Wizard grows louder.
Awareness shrinks him immediately.
2. Spot the sales script behind the curtain.
Brands and institutions use predictable ego triggers.
Fear.
Scarcity.
Status.
Comparison.
FOMO.
Self-doubt.
Ask yourself:
Are they telling me I am incomplete?
Are they selling belonging or identity?
What emotion is this message trying to provoke?
Once you see the script, it loses its spell.
3. Reclaim your spending power.
Every transaction is a signal.
A vote.
A ripple.
Your choices support cruelty or compassion, extraction or regeneration, deception or transparency, exploitation or dignity.
Try one value-aligned purchase this month.
Or decide not to buy the thing at all.
Both are forms of freedom.
4. Redefine success by your values, not the culture’s
The culture measures success with titles, money, productivity, and performance.
These metrics keep the Wizard in charge.
Ask yourself:
What does success mean to me?
Who am I outside the script?
If I stopped performing, what would I choose?
Your answers are the beginning of authenticity.
5. Come home to yourself.
The Wizard’s power has always been an illusion.
You were never broken.
You were never behind.
You were never less than.
The ego-driven culture taught you to forget this because remembering makes you impossible to control.
You reclaim your agency every time you:
Choose based on your values
Rest instead of perform
Buy consciously
Speak truth
Release comparison
Follow what feels real
These are not small acts.
They are forms of liberation.
Reclaiming Power, Step by Step
Awakening does not mean rejecting the world.
It means seeing through the illusions that kept you small.
Every conscious choice becomes a declaration:
I am enough.
My worth is inherent.
My power is mine.
I choose with awareness.
The Wizard was never the answer.
The curtain was never the truth.
And you were never missing anything.
You have had the power all along.
What curtain have you pulled back in your own life? Your story may be the reminder someone else needs today