My biggest post on Substack didn't get traction until after being live for over 2 months! It had less than 20 likes for 2 whole months... you just never know when your words will find who they're meant to find 😊
This is true for free societies. But where every written word can be used against you, it can be dangerous. Unfortunately, showing vulnerability also attracts a lot of unpleasant people: psychopaths know exactly which buttons to push. I think you have to know who you open up to, how and when; demonstrating your vulnerability to a global audience is risky.
So true! This fear of people's judgment begins within us when we are very young, likely when we start making friends at school. I think the sooner we learn that no one is truly thinking of us and teach it to our children, the less time we spend in anger/anxiety and fear.
I love the is way of thinking- similarly, how you’ll never be “the very best” at anything. But in the same way you’ll never be the worst, which makes trying more freeing once you internalise that there actually is no best. You know?
I'm glad this post popped up on my feed this morning.
The algorithm can sometimes surreptitiously/serendipitous offer just the perfect inflection of ones mood. Especially when procrastinating on a piece of writing due, if I'm honest, to overthinking the potential reaction.
hat sense of "no one is watching you" is one of those maxims I inherently know but need to be consistently reminded of. One of the positives about writing on Substack has been the audience engagement. There has been in such a good faith vein of curiosity and appreciation (especially compared with posting one's work on social media) it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking: what would fire the collective synaptic, emotional pulse of the Substack audience.
But this is wholly illusory. As if the is any more a collective sensibility of any online audience. It also aligns to that self-defeating posture of being a people pleaser.
Eudaimonia is such a fantastic encapsulation finding your own sense of flourishing, one that isn't tied to anyone else's expectations. You of course align this with the stoics but this also reminded me of the Sartrian notion of "authenticity". Not that sense of performed realism that we see so much of online. But the idea of taking responsibility for one's thoughts and actions, and authoring one's own values and purpose. Maybe old Jean-Paul was repurposing way before that was even a thing.
So beautifully written and resonates deeply. Spending 4 decades of wanting to look good in front of this imaginary audience has taken its toll. Thank you for this reminder ❤️
Reading this after publishing a post and listening to the crickets. 😅
Just, keep, publishing! 🐟
My biggest post on Substack didn't get traction until after being live for over 2 months! It had less than 20 likes for 2 whole months... you just never know when your words will find who they're meant to find 😊
That might be the one I read last night! Blew my mind in the best way possible. Such an inspiring, generous post! xx
This is true for free societies. But where every written word can be used against you, it can be dangerous. Unfortunately, showing vulnerability also attracts a lot of unpleasant people: psychopaths know exactly which buttons to push. I think you have to know who you open up to, how and when; demonstrating your vulnerability to a global audience is risky.
So true! This fear of people's judgment begins within us when we are very young, likely when we start making friends at school. I think the sooner we learn that no one is truly thinking of us and teach it to our children, the less time we spend in anger/anxiety and fear.
I love the is way of thinking- similarly, how you’ll never be “the very best” at anything. But in the same way you’ll never be the worst, which makes trying more freeing once you internalise that there actually is no best. You know?
I'm glad this post popped up on my feed this morning.
The algorithm can sometimes surreptitiously/serendipitous offer just the perfect inflection of ones mood. Especially when procrastinating on a piece of writing due, if I'm honest, to overthinking the potential reaction.
hat sense of "no one is watching you" is one of those maxims I inherently know but need to be consistently reminded of. One of the positives about writing on Substack has been the audience engagement. There has been in such a good faith vein of curiosity and appreciation (especially compared with posting one's work on social media) it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking: what would fire the collective synaptic, emotional pulse of the Substack audience.
But this is wholly illusory. As if the is any more a collective sensibility of any online audience. It also aligns to that self-defeating posture of being a people pleaser.
Eudaimonia is such a fantastic encapsulation finding your own sense of flourishing, one that isn't tied to anyone else's expectations. You of course align this with the stoics but this also reminded me of the Sartrian notion of "authenticity". Not that sense of performed realism that we see so much of online. But the idea of taking responsibility for one's thoughts and actions, and authoring one's own values and purpose. Maybe old Jean-Paul was repurposing way before that was even a thing.
Anyway, thanks for the post. And the reminder.
So good and I deeply relate to it. Thanks for sharing!
New follower here, but really finding resonance in your words. Loved this post
So beautifully written and resonates deeply. Spending 4 decades of wanting to look good in front of this imaginary audience has taken its toll. Thank you for this reminder ❤️
This is beautiful writing. Very strange. Timing… I wrote this about Marcus Aurelius just the other day. https://open.substack.com/pub/markmcinerney/p/let-us-not-flinch-a-stoic-manifesto?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=1b56qu