Social Media
entertainment
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Personal Development
Success
Content Creation
YouTube
Obsession
Mr. Beast was so obsessed with YouTube that he talked growth strategy with friends on Skype every day for more than 1,000 days. By the end, everybody in the group had more than 1 million subscribers.
Nobody thought Mr. Beast would be a standout success. Growing up, he skipped class, got bad grades, and didn't do his homework.
That group was his priority: βWe were very religious about itβ¦ they say 10,000 hours to master something, but we probably put in 40,000-50,000 hours."
That group was his priority: βWe were very religious about itβ¦ they say 10,000 hours to master something, but we probably put in 40,000-50,000 hours."
Let's talk about obsession:
Whenever I become obsessed with something, I feel like an invisible being has taken reigns on my life. My obsessions are in charge, not me. I can't really influence them. The best I can do is make productive use of them.
Whenever I become obsessed with something, I feel like an invisible being has taken reigns on my life. My obsessions are in charge, not me. I can't really influence them. The best I can do is make productive use of them.
Like Mr. Beast, most obsessions won't seem valuable at first, which is why people make fun of them. We should think differently about them though. Obsession makes you one-of-a-kind, and one-of-a-kind people are precisely who the Internet economy rewards.
What if you're obsessed with Assassin's Creed?
If you live in a town of 100 people and don't have internet access, it won't help you. But if you know how to use the Internet properly, you can turn that obsession into an invigorating social life and 7-figures of annual income.
If you live in a town of 100 people and don't have internet access, it won't help you. But if you know how to use the Internet properly, you can turn that obsession into an invigorating social life and 7-figures of annual income.
Schools squash obsession. The way they push people towards being the same reminds me of the Greek tale of Procrustes, a robber who made victims fit onto a bed, either by stretching them out or cutting off their legs. In a quest for sameness, the victims became incapacitated.
For obsessive kids like Mr. Beast, schools are overly rigid. Moving every kid through the school system at the same speed means obsessive kids move slower than they want, which crushes their curiosity and limits their potential.
Schools incentivize "well-roundedness" at the expense of obsession. They reward students with an equally distributed work ethic. You know, the 4.0 GPA types who put the same effort into mathematics, English and biology. But if you only focus on one subject, you're going to fail.
If there's a North Star for my work, it's to identify people like Mr. Beast (10 years ago) who are obsessive, but directionless. They feel like they have nobody to share their obsessions with, and keep them private to avoid being teased. I want to give them a path to success.
Like Mr. Beast, I believe that sharing ideas on the Internet is the best way to meet people who share your obsessions.
If you want to become a better writer, you'll like my free 50-day email series. Subscribe below.
ageofleverage.com
If you want to become a better writer, you'll like my free 50-day email series. Subscribe below.
ageofleverage.com
I relate to Mr. Beast's story because I didn't have anybody to talk about my obsessions with as a kid.
Writing online changed that, and I just published a 17,000-word guide to becoming a better writer.
perell.com
Writing online changed that, and I just published a 17,000-word guide to becoming a better writer.
perell.com
Mr. Beast: "I hated school with a passion, but my Mom forced me to go to community college. That was the worst thing ever. That made me hate life. Borderline suicidal. I can't stand having to sit there and listen to a teacher read out of a book."
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