This sounds like an example of the “crab bucket mentality.” It’s very common, especially among groups who have experienced trauma such as poverty, war, or racism.

You can absolutely live your own life, and learn the things you’re interested in. Still, it’s good to keep some compassion for your family members. They probably do love you and want you to be happy. They might just be frightened of you stepping outside their reality.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_mentality

Not really a lesson learned, but a line that stayed with me. I forget which book it’s in, maybe Post Office, but he writes about a winning streak he had at the track. It was so good he either quit or took a leave of absence from his job. He woke late, enjoyed steak and scotch, then ambled down to the track. And then he says, “it was a great life, and I did not tire of it.”

All our lives, we’re told that wealth won’t buy happiness, that the only true fulfillment comes from hard work, and that getting what we want will only lead to misery. But here’s Bukowski describing a life of utter self-indulgence, and saying he never got tired of it. Profound.

There was a bomber in Texas who murdered several strangers with package bombs left on their doorsteps. He blew himself up just before he was captured. I don’t think we ever got an explanation of his motivation. It’s really rare, but it does happen.

The fact is that most of us are alive simply because no one has decided to kill us yet. There is no complete safety in this life, so you may as well take reasonable precautions and chill. Enjoy your life.