Don’t hate them for trying
I have started an experiment. I’d like to see how many days I can go without being a hater. Sounds weird, but too much of my daily routine centers around ripping stuff that other people do. I’ve really noticed this happening a lot recently, even before starting to listen to the Joe Rogan Experience podcast which I must admit, has had a profoundly positive influence on my life.
Rogan always talks about negativity being something that clouds constructive or deep thinking. He talks about haters and the fact that they believe they can do everything better, that everyone else is a douchebag or somehow doing it wrong. I really don’t want to be THAT guy.
Something occured to me this afternoon. Ironically, it occured to me as I was silently crtizicing something I saw someone else do on YouTube.
The difference between the hated and the hatee is that the hated actually tried and succeeded. Now, they might not have succeeded in creating something great – in this case, I am referring to video content referencing a popular video game that I play. But, they succeeded at least in the sense that I even know their content exists, which in this day and age is a big accomplishment. There are so many people out there posting video to YouTube, writing blog posts, and generally looking for attention, that it is no small feat to get your name out there and your content noticed.
Sure, I happen to think that I do have more creative things to say than most people do, but if I never say them, or don’t succeed in getting those thoughts heard/read then I can’t really criticize what other people are doing. Therefore, the observations I should be making (or, the kudos that are deserved or should be given) is that someone succeeded in how they got their creation into the world, not that their creation was great or not to begin with. That, of course, is totally subjective.
Examples of this:
This Week in Tech – a show I find to cover extremely basic information. On the merit of its content I don’t find it that interesting, but it has amassed a large following – large enough that the guy who produces it has his own studio, at least. Everytime Leo LaPorte criticizes Apple my skin crawls, but there are many people out there that listen to him just for that.
Ashton Kutcher – a favorite punching bag of mine on this blog. I don’t find his acting very good, nor do I think he is the tech genius he portrays himself as, but he’s pretty well connected now in Silicon Valley and on a hit tv-show. Can’t really deny him that I guess.
Michele Bachman – alright this is getting harder for me to do. There is no love at all in my heart for this person, but she has made it pretty far in life. I don’t agree with anything she stands for, but its undeniable that people find her either enteraining or that some take her seriously, therefore I can see why she would be on the cover of Newsweek or whatever.
Just coming to grips with all of these things above is difficult, but hopefully will help me sort out some of my hater issues. It is going to be a slow process, but together (with me writing and you, reading) we’ll get through it.
