Letting go of the world's opinions and trusting yourself is definitely a big one. For me, giving in to peer pressure created an incredible amount of stress and anxiety. Even health problems beyond that!
Now that I've become more independent in nature, I can definitely say that this is a huge factor in life.
I also agree with your metaphor of water... path of least resistance is the best way to be.
Interestingly enough, I just recently wrote about how H2O is so similar to who we are. I think you'd find it interesting! I'd love to hear your thoughts about it: The Wisdom Will Flow When You Listen to H2O
Yeah, social anxiety is huge in our society. I would not be surprised if it is partly spurred by the growing importance of social media approval.
I will definitely check out your post!
Oh I'm sure it most definitely has a lot to do with that! Good point.