Why do so many people spend their lives doing things they don't like doing? This question has haunted me for years. Growing up, it seemed obvious to me that work could serve my highest ends. Dreading Monday morning was no way to live. Work wouldn't always be "fun," but it would definitely be meaningful because it’d let me serve others and express my unique gifts. Call me starry-eyed, but maybe it was the California boy in me. People have always moved to the West Coast to bathe in sunlight and make something of themselves. Think of the 49ers in the gold rush, actors in the golden age of Hollywood, or entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. I was super confused when, after college, the children of wealthy people systematically flocked to the same few industries: finance, law, banking, and strangest of all... management consulting. They weren’t chasing money. They were chasing prestige. The Latin word for prestige (praestīgium) translates to illusion. When I asked them about their jobs, they’d say something to the effect of: "Yeah, it sucks now, but it'll get better in the future." But that so-called “future” gets postponed every year. "When I can pay my rent" becomes "when I get promoted" which becomes "when I become a partner" which becomes "when my kids leave the house" until you eventually retire, become an AARP member and find yourself wondering how all the time slipped away. Work culture wasn’t the only thing that had me scratching my head. The architecture of the Internet preys on our animalistic instincts, and has us trapped in a Never-Ending Now of trash content where the majority of what people consume was made in the past 24 hours. And so, we prioritize what was created recently over the greatest writers and ideas of all-time. Swipe, click. Swipe, click. Swipe, click. Ask yourself: Are you using the Internet, or is the Internet using you? Here’s the good news: Though the Internet has problems, it doubles as the solution. The mainstream media has lost its monopoly on attention. The means of distribution have changed. No longer do you need a printing press or a snazzy recording studio to spread your message. Anybody can write on the Internet. Ideas move at the speed of light. The Internet goes to work for you whenever you publish a quality piece of writing. If your words are worth reading, your audience will grow. First, hundreds of fans. Then, thousands. Writing online isn’t about becoming famous though. It’s about communicating who you are, how you think, and what you can do to serve others. And you don’t need a giant audience to raise your income, do more inspired work, and attract people who ignite your intellectual curiosity. Instead of going to others, others will come to you. I think of the story of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. For years, Tolkien slaved away on a secret little project that he was too scared to tell anybody about until one day, his friend C.S. Lewis saw the potential in Tolkien's writing and encouraged him to publish it. One push, one word of encouragement was all that Tolkien needed to turn his secret little project into one of the best-selling books of the 20th century: The Lord of The Rings. This short film is for 9-to-5’ers who are done waiting until the sun goes down to do something that matters; it’s for people who are suppressing the creative fire that burns within them; it’s for people who are tired of being intellectually isolated and trapped in their careers; and it’s for people with deep domain expertise who aren’t being rewarded for their rare and valuable knowledge. It’s for people who look in the mirror and say: “I was made for more than this.”
Good for you, David. I've been following your journey for years and feel like THIS is the essay you've been building toward. Beautifully written and executed on all cylinders.
David, this video might be the C.S. Lewis I need right now. Thank you so much for creating this 🙏🏼 I quit social media many years ago to escape the brain poison and live a calm life. But over the last few years, thanks to all these ideas (I'm a subscriber of the Write of Passage newsletter) - I've begun to realise that avoiding and hiding is not the answer. However, something flipped during my time away from social media and I've built a huge resistance to be back on there. But with some effort, I was able to start working on a product I dreamed of making for a long time and started being active on Twitter. And it was some of the most inspiring days I've had this year. But work pressure and other circumstances dragged me out of it again. Losing the momentum, I was clueless about how best to come back. But watching this video, I feel like it triggered something. It's a reminder of a dream I've always had, and still have -- just hidden beneath layers of noise and distraction. I can't thank you enough for spreading this positive energy! :)
There is an ethereal beauty to every aspect of this video - the structure of the script, the philosophical argument, the sound design, the enlivened artwork. Even the stock footage has the sheen of tasteful curation. This video essay is a complete lesson in new media aesthetics, disguised as a 'writing motivation' video. You're back on the RUclips airwaves and how! I shall be watching this every day.
That is incredibly kind. One of the things we discovered (and tapped into) for this video is that every painting made before 1924 is copyright-free, which made it much easier to communicate the emotional textures we were going for.
Hah! It's true. I outlined a lot of these ideas in an essay called "What the Hell is Going On" a few years back. perell.com/essay/what-the-hell-is-going-on/
This video has come at the right time for me! I have considered leaving my meaningless job, but I’ve become addicted to the salary. It’s not worth giving up fulfillment, though!
David has just created the single best location on the internet to direct somebody about why writing online is so important. David, well done on this script. You nailed it. You laid out the pain, twisted the knife, and somehow weaved at least four of your core issues (education, neverending now, etc) into a persuasive narrative flow Bravo. Also I'm impressed by your restraint at not mentioning Write of Passage at the end! This could have been a killer advertisement for WoP, so I'm curious what motivated the decision?
I really love your work, David. I resonate with your story (ADHD, feeling isolated because of your arcane intellectual interests). We are kindred spirits. I wish you all the best. Matt from Australia.
David I have followed you on Twitter for a while and I really admire you as a writer. You are an inspiration, I'm building a writing web app to get my kids into the habit of writing, inspired by you and the Atomic Habits book. Thank you so much. This video hits hard also.
yes. but it is just too hard. there is an ongoing judgement that i feel in relationship to my environment, to those who surround me: they don't care as i do. i'm alone in this. and that judgement transforms into resentment, into anger. i feel that anger. why are they telling the same old stories when there is such an interesting world unfolding out there? am i crazy? what is this all about? that's the story that is told inside. over and over again. am i crazy for wanting to live a life of meaning? i know i'm not. but it is just too hard.
Hi David, I have been following your channel and came to know that you require a video editor. Well, I would like to apply for this post, if it's still available, to prove my value I could provide you with 3 free videos of the podcast , and then if you like it then you could hire me. if it's fair then please comment back.
Thank you David, and congratulations for your film short film essay! I really liked the chapter-structure. I wonder, have you thought about how this can be shown in a narrative film, between five to ten minutes long? Please keep going, this is an inspiring message!
Why do so many people spend their lives doing things they don't like doing?
This question has haunted me for years.
Growing up, it seemed obvious to me that work could serve my highest ends. Dreading Monday morning was no way to live. Work wouldn't always be "fun," but it would definitely be meaningful because it’d let me serve others and express my unique gifts.
Call me starry-eyed, but maybe it was the California boy in me. People have always moved to the West Coast to bathe in sunlight and make something of themselves. Think of the 49ers in the gold rush, actors in the golden age of Hollywood, or entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley.
I was super confused when, after college, the children of wealthy people systematically flocked to the same few industries: finance, law, banking, and strangest of all... management consulting.
They weren’t chasing money. They were chasing prestige.
The Latin word for prestige (praestīgium) translates to illusion. When I asked them about their jobs, they’d say something to the effect of: "Yeah, it sucks now, but it'll get better in the future." But that so-called “future” gets postponed every year. "When I can pay my rent" becomes "when I get promoted" which becomes "when I become a partner" which becomes "when my kids leave the house" until you eventually retire, become an AARP member and find yourself wondering how all the time slipped away.
Work culture wasn’t the only thing that had me scratching my head. The architecture of the Internet preys on our animalistic instincts, and has us trapped in a Never-Ending Now of trash content where the majority of what people consume was made in the past 24 hours. And so, we prioritize what was created recently over the greatest writers and ideas of all-time.
Swipe, click. Swipe, click. Swipe, click.
Ask yourself: Are you using the Internet, or is the Internet using you?
Here’s the good news: Though the Internet has problems, it doubles as the solution. The mainstream media has lost its monopoly on attention. The means of distribution have changed. No longer do you need a printing press or a snazzy recording studio to spread your message.
Anybody can write on the Internet. Ideas move at the speed of light. The Internet goes to work for you whenever you publish a quality piece of writing. If your words are worth reading, your audience will grow.
First, hundreds of fans. Then, thousands.
Writing online isn’t about becoming famous though. It’s about communicating who you are, how you think, and what you can do to serve others. And you don’t need a giant audience to raise your income, do more inspired work, and attract people who ignite your intellectual curiosity. Instead of going to others, others will come to you.
I think of the story of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. For years, Tolkien slaved away on a secret little project that he was too scared to tell anybody about until one day, his friend C.S. Lewis saw the potential in Tolkien's writing and encouraged him to publish it. One push, one word of encouragement was all that Tolkien needed to turn his secret little project into one of the best-selling books of the 20th century: The Lord of The Rings.
This short film is for 9-to-5’ers who are done waiting until the sun goes down to do something that matters; it’s for people who are suppressing the creative fire that burns within them; it’s for people who are tired of being intellectually isolated and trapped in their careers; and it’s for people with deep domain expertise who aren’t being rewarded for their rare and valuable knowledge.
It’s for people who look in the mirror and say: “I was made for more than this.”
Good for you, David. I've been following your journey for years and feel like THIS is the essay you've been building toward. Beautifully written and executed on all cylinders.
Thank you! I feel like it’s the synthesis of years and years of thinking
David, thank you! As "online content" goes, this is top tier.
David, this video might be the C.S. Lewis I need right now. Thank you so much for creating this 🙏🏼
I quit social media many years ago to escape the brain poison and live a calm life. But over the last few years, thanks to all these ideas (I'm a subscriber of the Write of Passage newsletter) - I've begun to realise that avoiding and hiding is not the answer. However, something flipped during my time away from social media and I've built a huge resistance to be back on there. But with some effort, I was able to start working on a product I dreamed of making for a long time and started being active on Twitter. And it was some of the most inspiring days I've had this year.
But work pressure and other circumstances dragged me out of it again. Losing the momentum, I was clueless about how best to come back. But watching this video, I feel like it triggered something. It's a reminder of a dream I've always had, and still have -- just hidden beneath layers of noise and distraction.
I can't thank you enough for spreading this positive energy! :)
Get after it 💪🏼
Why this video has 1.6k views only? Man this video is top-notch. Loved it!
Thanks!
What a beautiful video. Added to Favourites playlist.
Boo yah
There is an ethereal beauty to every aspect of this video - the structure of the script, the philosophical argument, the sound design, the enlivened artwork. Even the stock footage has the sheen of tasteful curation. This video essay is a complete lesson in new media aesthetics, disguised as a 'writing motivation' video. You're back on the RUclips airwaves and how! I shall be watching this every day.
That is incredibly kind. One of the things we discovered (and tapped into) for this video is that every painting made before 1924 is copyright-free, which made it much easier to communicate the emotional textures we were going for.
David, I know you handle the writing but provides the imagery for you videos
Chapter 3 goes so hard 🔥
Hah! It's true. I outlined a lot of these ideas in an essay called "What the Hell is Going On" a few years back.
perell.com/essay/what-the-hell-is-going-on/
Thank you David. Its really helpful.
Happy to hear it
This video has come at the right time for me! I have considered leaving my meaningless job, but I’ve become addicted to the salary. It’s not worth giving up fulfillment, though!
As I say in the video: "I've been there and I hear you."
Good luck with the transition.
David has just created the single best location on the internet to direct somebody about why writing online is so important.
David, well done on this script. You nailed it. You laid out the pain, twisted the knife, and somehow weaved at least four of your core issues (education, neverending now, etc) into a persuasive narrative flow
Bravo. Also I'm impressed by your restraint at not mentioning Write of Passage at the end! This could have been a killer advertisement for WoP, so I'm curious what motivated the decision?
Thank you!
I really love your work, David. I resonate with your story (ADHD, feeling isolated because of your arcane intellectual interests). We are kindred spirits.
I wish you all the best.
Matt from Australia.
👊🏼
David I have followed you on Twitter for a while and I really admire you as a writer. You are an inspiration, I'm building a writing web app to get my kids into the habit of writing, inspired by you and the Atomic Habits book.
Thank you so much.
This video hits hard also.
yes.
but it is just too hard.
there is an ongoing judgement that i feel in relationship to my environment, to those who surround me: they don't care as i do. i'm alone in this. and that judgement transforms into resentment, into anger. i feel that anger.
why are they telling the same old stories when there is such an interesting world unfolding out there?
am i crazy? what is this all about?
that's the story that is told inside. over and over again.
am i crazy for wanting to live a life of meaning?
i know i'm not.
but it is just too hard.
Dear god. Beauty of the highest order
Hi David, I have been following your channel and came to know that you require a video editor. Well, I would like to apply for this post, if it's still available, to prove my value I could provide you with 3 free videos of the podcast , and then if you like it then you could hire me. if it's fair then please comment back.
Agnelo, did you get any word back?
Thank you David, and congratulations for your film short film essay! I really liked the chapter-structure.
I wonder, have you thought about how this can be shown in a narrative film, between five to ten minutes long?
Please keep going, this is an inspiring message!
Say more about the narrative film idea...
Perell is pioneering this new format, one of the best and most stylish creators "smart RUclips" has seen in a long time
Thanks... I increasingly like thinking through the aesthetics as much as the words
A very compelling content ❤
Thoroughly enjoyed this.
🙌🏼
What a brilliant story so true and relevant. Unbelievable quality everytime a video is uploaded!
Trying to keep leveling up... that's what it's about
Thank you David. This was quite insightful.
Glad you liked it
What a beautiful and moving video ❤
Thanks!
This video is both dreadful and beautiful
Not sure if that's a compliment or an insult, or both??
@@DavidPerellChannel definitely a compliment. I say dreadful cause more and more people are becoming robots. The internet needs your voice