Escape The Bubble - Insights From a Motivational Speaker

We like to believe our tastes and opinions are our own, but often, they’re shaped by the bubble we operate in. In elite circles, what you like isn’t just about personal preference—it’s a signal to others.

Cultural life in New York is entirely driven and hence constrained by what other people think of your tastes. Whereas people on Long Island, the blue collar culture, basically you like things because you like things.

Something middle class people experience is that posh food looks better than it tastes and working-class food tastes better than it looks.

This dynamic plays out in politics too. Many feel pressured to accept an entire ideological package rather than think independently. When we only engage with people who share our worldview, we risk mistaking our bubble’s norms for universal truth.

Anthropologist-turned-business journalist Gillian Tett observed this in finance before the 2008 crash—decision-makers were so trapped in their own mental models that they failed to see the bigger picture. The same principle applies to leadership, culture, and personal growth.

To escape the echo chamber, challenge your assumptions, engage with different perspectives, and give yourself permission to like what you actually like. Real thinking happens outside the bubble.