The Courage to Live Outside Society’s Expectations

1813, 2020, or 48 BC — eyes full of judgment have always felt the same

Niklas Göke
2 min readJan 11, 2021

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Photo by Paolo Nicolello on Unsplash

Bridgerton is a period drama set against the backdrop of London’s high society in 1813 — think Gossip Girl but 200 years earlier.

The characters’ challenges are remarkably similar to the so-called first-world problems we occupy ourselves with today. None of them suffer a shortage of food or shelter, but they all struggle with meaning and expectations.

There’s Daphne, who wants to marry for love, not status. There’s Benedict, who wishes to be an artist, not a businessman. There’s Anthony, who can’t be with the woman he loves because of her heritage.

As they prepare for event after event, everyone is watching. They’re all always watching. The queen. The neighbors. The gentleman’s club.

The judging eyes of society never close. Like rigid particles in a crystalline structure, their goal is to paralyze every participant.

If everyone’s eyes are locked on someone else, no one is free to move — and yet, each chess piece is a human, a person full of desires, dreams, and ambitions, many of which don’t satisfy society’s preconceived notions.

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Niklas Göke

I write for dreamers, doers, and unbroken optimists. Read my daily blog here: https://nik.art/