YOUR FUTURE IS NOT YOUR DESTINY
How YouTube Predicts Your Future (And How You Can Make It Better)
Changing your environment will improve who you will be
In 2007, Dr. Nicholas Christakis, a researcher at Harvard, analyzed a social network of 12,000 people across 30 years. He discovered a surprising fact: The more obese friends you have, the more likely you are to become obese yourself.
It’s easy to see how this is so. You’re watching Avengers: Endgame with friends at your usual Friday night movie-and-pizza party. Most of them are wearing XL and XXL t-shirts, and they’ve been eating since the movie began. One of them says, “Bro, you want another slice?” The more you say yes, the sooner you’ll be wearing XL tees.
Being “mentally obese” is always possible. But is it inevitable?
Moving to a better neighborhood
As Maarten van Doorn eloquently said, “The dream in your heart may be bigger than the environment in which you find yourself. Sometimes you have to get out of that environment to see that dream fulfilled.”
YouTube shows you the environment you’re living in.
What is this person interested in? Who will they be a year from now?
And what is this person interested in? Where will they be a year from now?
Here’s your map
The first person is not lazy or stupid, but they have been in the land of pizza for a while. They’re in danger of becoming mentally obese.
It’s easy to become the second person:
- Search for videos of whatever you’re interested in (it won’t feel like work)
- Make sure that most of them will tell you something you don’t know
- When you want a break, limit yourself to 5 minutes of fun videos
Steve Jobs famously said, “The journey is the reward.” And the right journey will deliver you to the best places.
