We’ve all had those nights. You are staring at the ceiling, maybe scrolling through a feed of perfectly curated lives, and suddenly the weight of your own "ordinariness" just hits you like a physical wall. It is a weird, heavy realization. Honestly, the phrase i'm nothing but a mortal has become a sort of digital mantra for anyone trying to escape the pressure of being constantly "extraordinary" in a world that demands high performance at every turn. It’s a admission. It’s a relief.
Most people think this phrase is just a line from a song or a moody caption for a black-and-white photo, but it actually taps into a much deeper psychological shift happening right now. We are exhausted. Between the hustle culture of the late 2010s and the post-pandemic burnout, admitting mortality isn't about being morbid. It’s about reclaiming the right to be average.
The Viral Roots of i'm nothing but a mortal
You’ve probably seen it on TikTok or Instagram Reels. It often shows up paired with sweeping cinematic shots of nature or very mundane, quiet moments like drinking coffee in the rain. But where did it actually come from? While various songs have used similar lyrics, the specific surge in the phrase i'm nothing but a mortal often links back to a mix of dark academia aesthetics and the "Corecore" movement.
Corecore is this chaotic, emotional editing style that juxtaposes movie clips, news reports, and internet memes to evoke a sense of existential dread or deep humanity. In this context, saying you’re "nothing but a mortal" isn't a complaint. It’s a way of saying, "I am part of this huge, messy, beautiful thing called life, and I don't have to be a god or a billionaire to matter."
It’s a rejection of the "main character syndrome" that dominated social media for years. Remember when everyone was trying to live their life like a movie? This is the backlash. It’s the realization that being a background character—a mortal—is actually where the peace is.
Why We Are Obsessed With Our Own Limitations
Psychologically, there is a name for this: it’s a form of "radical acceptance." For a long time, the self-help industry told us we could be anything, do anything, and overcome every obstacle through sheer will. But then reality happened. Inflation, global instability, and the sheer pace of technology made a lot of people feel small.
When you say i'm nothing but a mortal, you are essentially lowering the bar for yourself in the best way possible. You're acknowledging that you will get tired. You will make mistakes. You will, eventually, cease to exist. This sounds dark, but experts in Stoicism—like those following the teachings of Marcus Aurelius—argue that "Memento Mori" (remembering you will die) is actually the key to a happy life.
The Stoic Connection
Marcus Aurelius wrote extensively about this in Meditations. He wasn't some influencer trying to get likes; he was the Roman Emperor. He had more power than almost anyone in history, yet he constantly reminded himself that he was just a man made of flesh and bone.
- He looked at his purple robes and reminded himself they were just wool dyed with shellfish blood.
- He looked at fine wine and saw fermented grape juice.
- He looked at his own fame and realized it would be forgotten in a few generations.
By embracing the idea that i'm nothing but a mortal, he stayed grounded. He didn't let the ego take over. Today, we use this phrase to do the exact same thing when we feel overwhelmed by the need to be "successful" by society's narrow standards.
The Biological Reality of Being Human
Let’s get nerdy for a second. Our bodies are incredibly fragile. We are essentially walking bags of salt water held together by a calcium frame.
The human brain is wired for survival, not for the 24/7 information cycle we feed it. When we try to act like we aren't "nothing but a mortal," we run into physical limits. Chronic cortisol spikes—that’s your stress hormone—literally shrink the hippocampus. That is the part of your brain responsible for memory and learning.
We try to bypass sleep. We try to "optimize" our diets until we’re miserable. We treat our bodies like machines that need upgrades. But the "mortal" realization forces us to stop. You can't optimize your way out of being human. Your cells have a hayflick limit—they can only divide so many times. Your heart has a finite number of beats.
Accepting this isn't giving up. It is actually the ultimate form of self-care. It means you stop fighting your biology and start working with it.
How This Vibe Changes Your Daily Life
So, how does this actually look in practice? If you truly embrace the fact that you are i'm nothing but a mortal, your decision-making shifts.
Honestly, it makes you braver. If you’re just a mortal, then that embarrassing thing you did in third grade doesn't matter. That email you’re scared to send? It’s just pixels sent by one mortal to another. The stakes feel lower, which ironically allows you to perform better because the paralyzing fear of "perfection" is gone.
Common Misconceptions
Some people think this mindset leads to nihilism—the idea that nothing matters so why bother? That is a huge mistake.
Nihilism is "Nothing matters, so I'll be miserable."
Mortalism (for lack of a better word) is "Nothing lasts forever, so I'll cherish this moment."
It is the difference between looking at a flower and being sad it will wilt, or looking at a flower and being amazed it exists at all.
The Social Media Paradox
It's kinda funny that we use social media—a tool designed for immortality through digital archiving—to post about being mortal. We want to be seen, but we also want to be "real."
The hashtag #imnothingbutamortal has become a hub for what people call "low-stakes living."
- Cooking a meal that isn't aesthetic but tastes good.
- Taking a walk without tracking your steps or heart rate.
- Reading a book just because, not to "learn a new skill."
- Sitting in silence without a podcast playing.
This is the "mortal" lifestyle. It’s the antithesis of the "optimized" life. It’s messy. It’s quiet. It’s very, very human.
Actionable Steps to Embrace Your Mortality
If you're feeling the weight of the world and want to lean into this perspective, you don't need a philosophy degree. You just need to change how you interface with your own expectations.
Perform a "Humanity Check" Daily
Next time you're stressed about a deadline or a social interaction, literally say it out loud: "I am a biological organism on a rock in space. I am doing my best." It sounds silly, but it breaks the loop of catastrophic thinking. It puts the problem back into a human-sized box.
Schedule "Unproductive" Time
Mortals need rest. Not "recovery" so you can work harder tomorrow, but actual rest. Do something that has zero ROI (Return on Investment). Draw a bad picture. Stare at a bird. The goal is to prove to yourself that your value isn't tied to what you produce.
Connect with the Physical World
Digital life makes us feel like ghosts. To feel like a mortal, you need to engage your senses. Garden. Cook with your hands. Walk barefoot on grass. These tactile experiences ground you in the "here and now," which is the only place a mortal can actually exist.
Audit Your Influences
If you follow people who make you feel like you're failing because you aren't a "superhuman" entrepreneur or a flawless beauty icon, unfollow them. Seek out creators and thinkers who celebrate the mundane, the flawed, and the temporary.
🔗 Read more: Is it gonna be sunny tomorrow? How to actually read the sky like a pro
Ultimately, the phrase i'm nothing but a mortal is a superpower. It’s the ultimate "get out of jail free" card from the prison of perfectionism. You aren't a god, you aren't a machine, and you aren't a brand. You're just a person. And honestly? That is more than enough.
Next Steps for Living Like a Mortal:
- Identify one area of your life where you are trying to be "perfect" and intentionally allow it to be "good enough" this week.
- Spend 10 minutes tonight looking at the stars or a map of the ocean to remind yourself of the scale of the world compared to your current worries.
- Write down three things you love doing that have absolutely no "productive" value, and do one of them before the weekend ends.