"An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again. But one that crumbles from within, that's dead forever." This is a famously chilling quote from the film Captain America: Civil War.
After reading years of history books and watching historical films, I’ve noticed that great collapses always seem to begin from within.
Think about it…The kingdom of France fell because of crippling national debt, unsustainable hierarchy, and widespread famine.
In Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, the Galactic Republic fell because of Palpatine's manipulation, clone betrayal, and Jedi misjudgement.
The Roman Republic fell because of economic collapse, political instability, and severe overexpansion.
I’ve found it also applies to us as people. When I feel like I’m falling apart, it only takes a look inside to realize it’s often my fault. It’s easy to fall prey to the victim mentality: always blaming external sources for my own hardships.
While we can’t control everything, external threats usually only finish internal decay.