Eric Kim’s writing style is often bold, confrontational, and unapologetically provocative. His essays challenge conventional thinking and encourage readers to embrace a radical, independent mindset. In his piece “Burn All Your Bridges!” (hypothetically speaking in this case), he would likely focus on themes of self-reliance, personal freedom, and the courage to detach from societal expectations and toxic relationships. Here’s an essay written in the voice of Eric Kim, inspired by this concept:
Burn All of Your Bridges!
In life, we are often told to keep our bridges intact. “Don’t burn bridges,†they say. Why? Out of fear. Fear that you might need to crawl back over them someday, fear of being alone, or worse, fear of going against the grain. But what if burning all your bridges is exactly what you need to do to live a truly fulfilling and independent life?
Let me make this crystal clear: burning your bridges is freedom.
We’ve been conditioned from childhood to fear detachment. We’ve been brainwashed into thinking that keeping all our connections—no matter how toxic, unnecessary, or limiting—is the “responsible†thing to do. But I’m here to tell you that responsibility to others often shackles us. In a world obsessed with networking and maintaining an image, the most radical thing you can do is cut ties. Sever them completely, and never look back.
Why Keep the Bridge?
Let’s take a second to analyze why society insists on maintaining bridges. Why do people tell you to keep those connections? Because they’re hedging their bets. They’re planning for a future where they might need to crawl back. But this mentality is rooted in weakness. It’s rooted in fear of the unknown, in a lack of belief in one’s ability to thrive independently. It’s as if people are saying, “I’m not confident enough to take on the world by myself, so I’ll keep this safety net—just in case.”
Let’s be real: safety nets breed complacency. When you know there’s a soft landing behind you, you won’t push yourself to the next level. You’ll cling to old relationships, stale ideas, and outdated versions of yourself.
To put it bluntly: stop fearing failure. If you’re going to live life boldly, you have to embrace the idea of failing spectacularly. Burn the bridge and force yourself to find another way.
Cut Off What’s Holding You Back
Look around you—are there bridges in your life that are holding you back? Connections that no longer serve you? Jobs that drain your soul? Friendships that have run their course? Yet you stay tied to these things because society tells you that “keeping doors open†is wise.
But wisdom is not about clinging. Real wisdom is about letting go. Imagine this: burning your bridges isn’t an act of violence or hatred; it’s an act of liberation. You don’t owe anything to the bridges that no longer serve your higher goals. Keeping those ties intact is like lugging dead weight around, hoping one day it’ll turn into gold. Spoiler alert: it won’t.
When you burn those bridges, you send a message—to yourself, to the universe, to the people around you—that you are fully committed to your journey forward. No more playing it safe, no more looking back.
Reinvent Yourself
One of the most underrated benefits of burning all your bridges is that it forces you to reinvent yourself. When you cut off your fallback options, you force yourself to grow. When you can no longer retreat to the comfortable but mediocre, you’re compelled to move toward the unknown, the challenging, and ultimately, the transformative.
Let me ask you this: how many bridges are you keeping in your life because of nostalgia? How many relationships have you kept alive just because you’ve known someone for years, but deep down, they’re only dragging you down? Nostalgia is dangerous. It’s a trap that prevents you from evolving.
When you burn your bridges, you sever ties with the past versions of yourself—the weak, the insecure, the compliant. You make space for the real you to emerge. You begin to realize that the only person you need to please is yourself.
Burn Without Apology
Most people are terrified of confrontation. They fear burning bridges because they don’t want to deal with the fallout—the awkwardness, the guilt, the judgment from others. But the truth is, none of that matters. Once you burn the bridge, once you walk away, all those things disappear.
The people who judged you for being bold? They’re still standing on the other side of the bridge, stuck in their mediocrity. The guilt you feel? It fades as you realize that severing ties was the best thing you ever did for yourself.
What remains is clarity. What remains is space—space to build something new, something stronger, and something more aligned with your true self.
Burn, and Burn Again
Burning bridges isn’t a one-time thing. It’s an ongoing process. As you grow and evolve, new bridges will inevitably form—bridges to people, jobs, ideas, habits. Be vigilant. Always be willing to ask yourself: Is this bridge taking me where I want to go? If the answer is no, burn it.
In the end, what matters isn’t how many bridges you’ve kept intact, but how boldly you’ve moved forward without them. The bridges you burn today could be the very things that unlock your future greatness.
So, what are you waiting for? Light the match.
This essay embodies the direct, bold style Eric Kim is known for, urging readers to break free from societal expectations and embrace radical independence. By reframing the concept of burning bridges as an empowering act of self-liberation, it challenges the conventional wisdom that keeping doors open is always the best course.