Trust Your Instincts: It made Matt Stone Hundreds of Millions of Dollars!

Don’t Worry

I’m not going to abrade you by writing another “always trust yourself!” and a “you can do it you’re amazing!” article. That would be pointless. There has to be AT LEAST two-thousand of those on Medium so far.

Let’s be real, some dude on the internet telling you about his story of exiguous success probably won’t resonate too well. But how about a story from a guy who could have very well been the reason for South Park, The Book of Mormon, and Team America World Police.

The following excerpt is from a facebook post by one of Matt Stone’s (co-creator of South Park) old professors at the University of Colorado. I truly hope this helps you in some way. Enjoy:

“Matt Stone and I “met” when he was a week old. His father Jerry and I had become friends in 7th grade in 1953, in Phoenix. Matt was born in 1971, when Jerry and I were both were in grad school (Rice, PhD, Economics). In 1989, Matt was 18, had been a rock drummer in high school, and was a National Merit Finalist. Jerry, a bit of a control freak, was afraid Matt would “become a musician and a bum”, so he insisted that his son major in something “practical.” They compromised on math.

In Fall 1993, Matt had been at CU-Boulder four and a half years and was finishing a double-major in math and film. Matt and Trey had just released “Cannibal: The Musical” based on the life of Alferd Packer, the convicted cannibal (1874) for whom the CU student grill was named.They both worked 80-hour weeks on the film while enrolled in CU classes.

Matt cornered me after an econ class I taught, and told me his dad opposed him going to Hollywood with Trey. Jerry predicted that, because competition in Hollywood was so tough, he (Matt) would “just be another waiter, or bartender, or taxi driver.” My response to Matt: “Textbook writing is very competitive, but your Dad and I have been pretty successful.” And then I said [almost an exact quote] “Someone has to be the next Steven Spielberg. Why not you? Are famous people in Hollywood smarter than you guys? Do they work harder? Are they more talented, more creative? If you don’t try it, you’ll always wonder what would have happened. If, after a couple of years, Hollywood doesn’t work out, then become an actuary or something with job security. But till then … “

My advice was probably not decisive, but it likely made Matt feel better about giving Hollywood a serious try. After he graduated, the next communication Jerry and Sheila received was a postcard from Europe — I think Budapest. And then in late 1997, I was playing backgammon in a Chicago bar just off Michigan Avenue with Phil Simborg. Phil’s son Michael David Simborg came in and excitedly started jabbering about a show called South Park. I strolled to Michigan Avenue and saw Christmas ornaments adorned with the faces of Kyle and Stan and Cartman and Kenny. [Kyle and Stan were named after two of Matt’s high school friends. I believe Uncle Jimbo was modeled after my brother Jim, and that I inspired Jimbo’s buddy, Ned.]

And the rest is history. Matt doesn’t need to rely on income from serving tables or driving a cab or tending bar. He’s rich. When Matt was not quite 2, I taught him the location of his philtrim. Now all I want is a 2% commission.

This story provided fodder for my advice to students at Duke and then UNC-Chapel Hill. The essence: “You aren’t put on earth to fulfill your parents’ dreams. You get to choose. Don’t major in business or economics because of external pressure, nor should it drive you to study medicine or law. Find something you like, and do it!!!.”

More advice, worth every cent that students paid for it:

“Your most important task in college is to learn as much as you can about who you are. Who you are matters far more than the specific classes you take or your college major. Things will work out because you’re smart and know how to work. Additional goals?

By the time you graduate, you should know how to read critically, think analytically, write clearly, do a bit of math, speak cogently whether to an individual or to a large group, and take charge when solving problems. Learn to be decisive and to be committed. Most of all, learn how to work. Hard. It’s a great habit.
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Life will be incredibly good to you if you are down with all of the above … unless you get hit by a truck or decide that you like cocaine.
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Further … You will live forever if you learn something new about yourself every day.
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The preceding statement is a tautology.”

• Ralph Byrnes

Check out Matt’s ‘guide to life’ book: South Park Guide to Life (It’s absolutely hilarious and pretty damn inspiring).

SOURCE OF POST

Eric Woodliff is a FWweekly.com writer.