If you found Arthur's advice useful, be sure to check out this recent article by him, on the dangers of workaholism: hbr.org/2024/09/youre-more-than-a-success-machine
I've never had a lasting friendship with someone who defined themselves by their career, but I've been blessed with a great number of lifelong friends who define themselves by what they're interested in.
That is exactly what happened to me after working in a company for more than 16 years and initially believing that everyone was my friend or believed in me. But things have changed over the years; we've grown apart, there have been disagreements, and the most frightening thing has been my layoff last year. I was devastated at first and grew bitter. However, I am grateful to the people who have stood by my side outside of my corporate job, such as church and family, and who have helped me to reflect and not to be worried in facing the reality. I am now happier than I ever was in my previous company. Not only that, but I am in a job with great deal of flexibility, even full-time work from home.
After 16 years? Probably not. Maybe you responded that way because you're insecure about your own work ethic and have fear of being fired for it, think about that
That happened to me after retiring from the school district after 20 years, I dropped all my lifetime "friends" like a bad habit after I left, never kept in touch with anyone.
It's easy to get lost in our careers and let them define us, but true fulfillment comes from embracing all aspects of our identity. Shifting focus from job titles to personal values can lead to a more balanced and joyful life.
I lost my job as a wireless engineer at Huawei in Sudan , right after the war started before year and half , suffered from identity crisis because of that , until I learned to deattach and redifine myself Wish saw this video earlier ☆
Woah I’m really sorry about this! Working in STEM in such a big electronics and tech company, you must be a big deal. The best of us think this stuff can never happen to us. Really sad about the war and its repercussions. Take care.
Don’t worry mate, I also left this company. Not because of war but wanted to grow in different field. Less money and lots of uncertainty but learned a lot about myself. Keep it up and all the best for you!
Thank you for this. I have been 100% the person who identify myself with my work, always. I love what I do and I’m lucky to love my job coz it’s also my passion, but when work slowed down in 2024, I had a sense of losing myself! That’s when I realized my life should not just be about work! Happy New Year everyone, onwards and upwards to all!
This is really helpful. For the past few years - I've been telling myself that my financial success cannot be the ONE THING that identifies me. I never thought of it as fear - but now that it's explained in this context - it is fear. The fear of failing (at least in your mind). Incredible insight.
I am 21. And I just realised that I've been in an identity crisis from when I was 13. This video blew my mind, cuz I realised where I've been going wrong all my life. Thankyou so much for this.
This video made me think of my mum. She was a teacher her entire life, but she’s been retired for 25 years now. Even so, it still seems to hurt her that her former colleagues don’t remember her anymore. Nobody calls or wishes her a happy Teacher’s Day. I never really considered that this might be a side effect of an identity crisis. But honestly, it’s been 25 years-of course, people have moved on. Definitely food for thought.
I was a custodian for 20 years, and I understand why. The school district is a way of life, not a job. It's like the Marine Corps, I know because I was in the Corps. You get so involved that it's hard to let go. And the people that don't retire resent the ones that do. Your mom did the right thing by retiring. My hat's off to her.
Wow, I am neither a budhist nor heard this idea before but whenever I feel like I will fail, I close my eyes and imagine my funeral. It is a complete relief.
look up "sky burials"! it's leaving the dead out for vultures, with monks meditating on decomposition the same idea as the speaker in this video mentioned about paintings. i'm a death doula (lol @ context of saying "i'm a" with the video at hand), & so much fear of death is fear of the unknown. so get familiar with it. there's fortunately a lot of accessible material & meditations available.
I fist stumbled upon Arthur's work on Peter Attia's podcast and, since then, have followed him closely. His ideas are extremely simple, yet very useful and pragmatic. I arranged a "Happiness Workshop" based on Arthur's work for my wife and I during our honeymoon, while we stayed in a bamboo house in the middle of Indonesia, and that was a truly important momment that I treasure deeply. One of the activities of this workshop was a death meditation related to our own wedding and private lives. While it may sound weird to start off a marriage talking about the inevitable death of it, that was actually crucial for us, keeping our fears on the surface and not letting them feast on us while buried below our subconsciousness. I actually suggest that as a bonding exercise with your loved ones. Best of love, mates!
Aside from letting go and being grateful for the opportunity to be part of building up society, I have a desire to continue being part of building up society in my own little way. Rather than looking at success in grandiosity, I want to reconnect and witness the growth of virtues in others.
I love this new Arthur Brooks series from HBR, he brings this tone of breezy candidness that balances the elegant seriousness of the subject matter. Please keep this up!
"people are so afraid of failing at work" never been less related to a phrase in my life. My job is just something that pays my bill. At most, I'm afraid of loosing the capacity to pay my bills, but that's it.
I just left my inpatient nursing job and have been unemployed for a month and have been always wondering what more I can identify other being a nurse at hospital. I am still learning this and and this video couldn’t have been perfect timing!
I am seeing this, hearing this, feeling this at a moment in time in my life when I have been contemplating this. Arthur has a direct way of sharing a topic that most would consider sensitive, yet it has resonated with me in a good way. Looking forward to exploring this book sometime.
Thanks HBR. Important to do and hard to practice. Many of us start working and making money at a young age, and we work past 65 years old these days, it’s hard not to be identity as your work, we want that validation that what one does matters. But, keep practicing this everyone! You are not your work, be your best and find the right role/team.
This hit home! It’s crazy how an identity crisis can feel so overwhelming, but also be a chance for growth and self-discovery. 🙌 Thanks for shedding light on such a relatable topic. Anyone else feel like they’ve had to 'find themselves' more than once?
Thank you Arthur Brooks for the 9-part meditation, as it puts in real perspective the legitimate boundaries between one's life, and one's career. I had similar thoughts, and some points resonated with me, albeit in an unstructured way. This mediation will fit well in my self reflection toolbox.
Yes, feeling afraid, fearful, or failing is normal, and I think we often feel anxious about it and about what people think. What should I do? Arthur’s remark about meditation being one of the good solutions to our problems is helpful.
I have always told my children that my job doesn't define me but allows me to do the things in life that do. Should I lose the job, I will find another one so I can continue doing those things. Pretty simple.
The death meditation is also known in the western/christian practice as “momento mori”. Very powerful practice. I appreciate your commentary, thank you!
People love Eastern wisdom because it feels all zen and universal, while Christian ideas like memento mori get ignored for being “too religious.” Guess it’s cooler to meditate on death if it comes with incense and a Buddha statue.
I feel like this practice needs to be monitored by good therapists cause despite its benefit, it may be suitable for people with anxiety, but may not be for someone with depression. For people with depression, what can help lift them up each day is hope, but reminding themselves about their worst fears, it's not the kind of mindset that's suitable for someone who's already lost hope in life. They'd forget the "despite changes, it's going to be okay" part and focus on the negatives instead
loveee this! I say being a muslim, I went through this exact same thought process. And now I'm just living my life, fully aware of the reality I'm in, and tryna secure that highest rank in the hereafter. We all ARE a cog in the grand scheme of things, but its not a bad thing when you know whose controlling it
Started thinking about this in my late 20s and I am happier for it. Left my career as a senior leader and became a full time artist eventually, and needless to say I am ok to not even be defined by that as long as I am happy and content enjoying life and fulfilling my purpose.
Contemplating on tha verses of the Qur'an brings you to reality - it helped me in this life on so many steps and honestly one doesn't need to be a Muslim to understand what it's saying as most of it is plain understandable
All I had to do to was take a vacation to realize that my existence at work is nothing but a body that produces labor. If I am not there, people will fill in the gap. Eventually they'll just outright replace me and move on. The way I feel about my position and status at work is purely about ego. The sooner you realize this, the sooner you can let go
As a motion designer and graphic designer, I typically watch these videos for inspiration in my own work. However, this video struck a chord with me and was truly inspiring, not just from a visual standpoint, but also because of Arthur C. Brooks' perspective.
This is why I love Hardvard Content, It's so smart, people are so smart ! Killing you identity so is why people ponder over their deaths, the deaths lost their identity. I truly love smart content, it's so comforting in the misdt of useless content. On the other side, as a personal story I'd like to share, I have never got a loss for perhaps all my life, and then I started an entrepreneurial journey and everything has only been about losing
As I get older I realise how much money I make is how much value I have. This makes me have an existential crisis especially when my job does not impact people's lives that much or when I am unemployed. This is depressing. Yeah it's like fear of death. I wanna leave something behind that's useful for other people and Idk what it's.
I think here it may be worth looking outside of job: try to volunteer, sit on a board or as trustee of some non profit organization that is close to your values. Even if that is an hour a week being engaged in service for others can make you feel better. Or different approach - maybe your job itself does not bring much of a value to average people or planet (lots of jobs don’t as business is there to make money, not to serve) BUT the means you have because of that job can be a contribution to something altruistic, i.e donations to charities etc.
Want to leave something useful for people? Yeah, then that "something" needs to be bigger than yourself, and that's your tribe and your family, a dinasty, a legacy.
@@DakotaFord592 I upload my lessons online. I am a teacher but I teach online. Part of me thinks it's part of my immortality. When I die I hope someone or some people can get something from my lessons I upload on TH-cam. It's more detailed and I actually spent hours on editing and making graphic designs so I hope one day they can appreciate my video lessons.
If you keep looking the answer eventually comes. A good starting point is to know what is it you don't want and eventually you will find what is it you do want.
Those steps sound great to me though! Retirement is a great prospect! I think for me a 9 step meditation should include the horrors of being replaced by AI in the field where I enjoy working.
I am thinking of similar trajectory for parents since their child is born and until they leave the nest. Thank you for the video. The Buddhist practices are helpful for people who are not monks as well
Interesting, I have very pragmatic approach. My job doesn't define who I am. What is the most important is what I am doing to feel like I am progressing in my life.
Professional identities and roles have come to define and dictate every aspect of a individual's life in the modern world. That's quite problematic as personality traits of the individual are socially ignored. The perception of the person is also directly linked to its financial condition and status.
It was a helpful video, this is somehow related to the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer. He was one of the first Western philosophers to combine Western philosophy and Buddhism.
This has been the core of our philosophy and having been as a professional makes so much more sense to me. Defining yourself by your career traps you in a cycle of endless striving, but embracing the principles of dharma and letting go of attachment to outcomes can help you transcend this and lead a more meaningful, balanced life. It advocates for a dilution of the ego by selflessly performing one’s duties, or karma, with the ultimate goal of uniting with Brahman-the supreme, omnipresent cosmic consciousness. This ancient wisdom reminds us that we are far more than our titles or professional roles, and real fulfillment comes not from external success, but from realizing the deeper, interconnected nature of our existence.
Professor... Culture and history (including the "history of the Fmily" [family stories]; it can give wings/ even a sense of dignity, or keep you in limitations). BR *"Someone who has risen above his nation becomes someone exceptional". And hence: "The highest level of leadership is to lead other nations" *But also the concept of a "transitional individual".
I agree with all the things you just mentioned, but the problem is that the managerial people who control the corporate world, from CEO all the way down to the lower management, like most of them "want" us to have a high level of success in order for us to get hired, especially in high paying jobs that can mostly be found on companies with "names". They will ask you like what school did you come from or what kind of leadership do you have. And that would be a big problem especially for those who try to build up their career from the beginning (I feel sorry about the late bloomers). If you dont want us to have an identity crisis on careers, how can you change the "elitist" minds of these managers?
If you're in a job interview and they ask about your career, it makes sense, no? since you're going there to work, not make friends. But I think this video is talking about your own sense of self. When you ask yourself, who am I? And you answer your profession, it means your identity is tied to it, which isn't beneficial for you. You can't change other people, only yourself
@@av3ngers17 so are you saying that if the people who came from a no name school with unattractive work experiences, especially if they lack leadership skills, they should humble themselves and stay at their current level of career instead of wishing for a higher level in order for them not to have identity crisis on careers? And the people with high IQ and well connected who are capable of becoming part of the elite are okay to level up without worries? That's very unfair I would say. Take note if you want to level up experiencing identity crisis on careers would exist, and one way is to woo these elitist minded managers and people at the bottom who has low IQs and lack of networks cannot do anything about that, because that is how the system works.
@@av3ngers17 so are you saying that people like with low IQs and have no networks need to humble themselves instead of wishing and trying to reach for a higher level careers in order for them to avoid identity crisis on careers when they fail, and at the same time people that belong to upper strata can easily reach out high careers without worries even though they fail? I dont think that's a fair play.
I like this insight, but I don't know if I'm missing something, because this seems pitched only to successful people. What about those who lost success and can't live a life where money isn't an issue in order to maintain health, relationships, even a roof under your head? What about those who just can't seem to reach professional success and are looked down as mediocre? Make no mistake, people will define you for your success and will have no issues saying you're a failure to everyone else. Sure, it's kind of easy to let got and accept what's coming after being a CEO or a Professor at Harvard...
As a Muslim, I believe we should submit to God's will, which is why we need not fear anything. This submission allows us to trust in His wisdom and plan for our lives. This encourages us to face life's challenges with courage and resilience, rather than being overwhelmed by fear, we can draw on our belief that everything happens for a reason, and that God guides us through difficult times.
So long as one is part of society one will always seek one's identity within that society. Only humans who live in extreme conditions (far removed from human civilization) or those who are self-actualised and no longer identify with even their own body can avoid this "identity crisis". "Who we are" is a dynamic question, so the answer can't be static either.
What is completely missing is the differentiation between "job" and "profession", which together constitute your career, here career is defined as just a job.
If people had a choice on what problems they had to have, dealing with success would be their top choice. Finding or achieving (financial) success is often harder than dealing with its consequences. People identify as successful because as an identity its benefits far outweigh the cost. The identity of being unsuccessful on the other hand is a drain on all fronts. The problem really is that there are limited ways to identify yourself that are beneficial to quality of life other than career success. It's easier to contemplate death when life has the benefits of success. Time running out on finding success gives death a different perspective.
I agree with eliminating fear out of it, but making it normal I think is a step too far. Sure, if that's the only option you have, go for it. It shouldn't become the norm for an Olympic athlete to be last. But sure, he might perform better if he accepts it as a potential option.
This is a good exercise, but it's pretty out of touch for most people with work anxiety. Most work-related anxiety is not late-career professionals afraid of 'losing their edge and retiring'. Would that we were all lucky enough to actually have such a career. I think the exercise would be more relevant to most workers if they imagined losing their job, being unemployed or underemployed, having effects on their family, and possibly losing their credentials and other work-related aspects of their identity. The way this professor frames it is too niche.
When asked "who are you?" my first impulse was always to say "I'm a human being" But that sounds weird to people so "I'm an interpreter. We're working together with my husband. We've been happily married for 25 years. We have two grown up sons" is what I say instead
Simple common sense things - focus on what you’re good at. Do things according to your sense of right and wrong and honour. Sleep easy. Who cares if someone else gets ahead faster. Better focus on living happily rather than competing.
I was a school custodian for 20 years. Ironically, the officer workers that were paid less than me treated me as a simpleton where the people in really expensive suits and dresses with nice cars came to me for input and advice. I never really understood the reason for that because two chimpanzees and a Starfleet cadet(Star trek 3) could have done my job. But those $150,000 a year people treated me like an equal.
Weird thing is; i have the fear of failing at work, yet complete failure and a forced restart would probably be one of the best things that could happen to me.
I live as a maverick, be in the world and not of the world and disconneted, deprogrammed and learn to live everyday in meditative state( Aware of my essence entombed in the body)
I am wondering how this will affect the work that one is doing at the moment. It might help feel better about the things when they actually happen, but how does this acceptance towards failure affect the current work at stake?
His take is "admit the truth, it all sorta doesnt matter" is sorta feudalistic but i get it. But the TRUTH is you have inherent worth because you are a human being! You are ALIVE today and you are LOVED by others and by God. You need to explore and live in that love. Today, 150,000 people will cease to exist (statistically) but you will live today and there will not be another like you. You are valuable and that is why you dont put your identity in a career because YOU ARE MORE than a career not because "oh well, i will die one day so my career doesn't really matter" . I worry he has taken "positive thinking" and put it into "positive thinking negatively about 'reality of outcomes in the future" but the real answer is deeper than that. You are more than what you do.
“Feudalistic” means related to the political system of feudalism. What did he say that was related to exchanging land holding for military service 🤔. Or did you mean “fatalism”?
If you found Arthur's advice useful, be sure to check out this recent article by him, on the dangers of workaholism: hbr.org/2024/09/youre-more-than-a-success-machine
hello, the link of the page says there is an error. Could you attach workable link , please?
I learned a long time ago I that no one is indispensable no matter how intelligent, skilled and capable they are. Someone else can do your job.
"Engineer different good times under different circumstances" Wow!! this is wisdom. Thank you
That's what I'm actively working on doing now.
I've never had a lasting friendship with someone who defined themselves by their career, but I've been blessed with a great number of lifelong friends who define themselves by what they're interested in.
Preach
the only friends that matter tbh
That is exactly what happened to me after working in a company for more than 16 years and initially believing that everyone was my friend or believed in me. But things have changed over the years; we've grown apart, there have been disagreements, and the most frightening thing has been my layoff last year. I was devastated at first and grew bitter. However, I am grateful to the people who have stood by my side outside of my corporate job, such as church and family, and who have helped me to reflect and not to be worried in facing the reality. I am now happier than I ever was in my previous company. Not only that, but I am in a job with great deal of flexibility, even full-time work from home.
Church sucks so does religion
After 16 years? Probably not. Maybe you responded that way because you're insecure about your own work ethic and have fear of being fired for it, think about that
That happened to me after retiring from the school district after 20 years, I dropped all my lifetime "friends" like a bad habit after I left, never kept in touch with anyone.
It's easy to get lost in our careers and let them define us, but true fulfillment comes from embracing all aspects of our identity. Shifting focus from job titles to personal values can lead to a more balanced and joyful life.
thank you so much for saying this
Well put
May I assume that’s part of the reason why people volunteer? Helping others to help you.
I lost my job as a wireless engineer at Huawei in Sudan , right after the war started before year and half , suffered from identity crisis because of that , until I learned to deattach and redifine myself
Wish saw this video earlier ☆
Woah I’m really sorry about this! Working in STEM in such a big electronics and tech company, you must be a big deal. The best of us think this stuff can never happen to us. Really sad about the war and its repercussions. Take care.
Don’t worry mate, I also left this company. Not because of war but wanted to grow in different field. Less money and lots of uncertainty but learned a lot about myself. Keep it up and all the best for you!
Thanks, good luck in your journey
Oh, god, I haven’t even heard about the war. Wishing you a peace of a mind and a peace for your country.
Thank you for this. I have been 100% the person who identify myself with my work, always. I love what I do and I’m lucky to love my job coz it’s also my passion, but when work slowed down in 2024, I had a sense of losing myself! That’s when I realized my life should not just be about work! Happy New Year everyone, onwards and upwards to all!
This is really helpful. For the past few years - I've been telling myself that my financial success cannot be the ONE THING that identifies me. I never thought of it as fear - but now that it's explained in this context - it is fear. The fear of failing (at least in your mind). Incredible insight.
I am 21. And I just realised that I've been in an identity crisis from when I was 13. This video blew my mind, cuz I realised where I've been going wrong all my life. Thankyou so much for this.
You've hardly lived. Come back when you're 35.
No you come back when you’re 45!
@@bananaman975 No you come back when you're 55!
Duration doesn't define experience @@Profile659
@@Profile659 lol
This video made me think of my mum. She was a teacher her entire life, but she’s been retired for 25 years now. Even so, it still seems to hurt her that her former colleagues don’t remember her anymore. Nobody calls or wishes her a happy Teacher’s Day. I never really considered that this might be a side effect of an identity crisis. But honestly, it’s been 25 years-of course, people have moved on. Definitely food for thought.
I was a custodian for 20 years, and I understand why. The school district is a way of life, not a job. It's like the Marine Corps, I know because I was in the Corps. You get so involved that it's hard to let go. And the people that don't retire resent the ones that do.
Your mom did the right thing by retiring. My hat's off to her.
“Engeneer new good times under diferent circumstances” is gold
Define yourself by your values. It gives you much more room for manoeuvre.
And interests!!!
Wow! My jaw is somewhere on the floor now. Didn't expect this depth and spirituality from HBR. Amazing video, and so inspiring! Big thanks
Yeh, todays trend
I think I had several micro-anxiety attacks watching this video
I did too
@nespodzany But did you feel at peace after this piece?
@@EstewCA I don't think I'm there quite yet, need more active practice.
😂
Me toooo 😭
Wow, I am neither a budhist nor heard this idea before but whenever I feel like I will fail, I close my eyes and imagine my funeral. It is a complete relief.
look up "sky burials"! it's leaving the dead out for vultures, with monks meditating on decomposition the same idea as the speaker in this video mentioned about paintings.
i'm a death doula (lol @ context of saying "i'm a" with the video at hand), & so much fear of death is fear of the unknown. so get familiar with it.
there's fortunately a lot of accessible material & meditations available.
I fist stumbled upon Arthur's work on Peter Attia's podcast and, since then, have followed him closely. His ideas are extremely simple, yet very useful and pragmatic. I arranged a "Happiness Workshop" based on Arthur's work for my wife and I during our honeymoon, while we stayed in a bamboo house in the middle of Indonesia, and that was a truly important momment that I treasure deeply. One of the activities of this workshop was a death meditation related to our own wedding and private lives. While it may sound weird to start off a marriage talking about the inevitable death of it, that was actually crucial for us, keeping our fears on the surface and not letting them feast on us while buried below our subconsciousness. I actually suggest that as a bonding exercise with your loved ones. Best of love, mates!
Aside from letting go and being grateful for the opportunity to be part of building up society, I have a desire to continue being part of building up society in my own little way. Rather than looking at success in grandiosity, I want to reconnect and witness the growth of virtues in others.
I love this new Arthur Brooks series from HBR, he brings this tone of breezy candidness that balances the elegant seriousness of the subject matter. Please keep this up!
"people are so afraid of failing at work" never been less related to a phrase in my life. My job is just something that pays my bill. At most, I'm afraid of loosing the capacity to pay my bills, but that's it.
I just left my inpatient nursing job and have been unemployed for a month and have been always wondering what more I can identify other being a nurse at hospital. I am still learning this and and this video couldn’t have been perfect timing!
😊 wow . Be strong
Thank you! I now work as a nurse at clinic.. I trusted the process but I am still working on my identify as a human being
Very easy to be at peace when you don’t have money problem
Exactly.
As a Buddhist who has been practicing for 15 years - I really DIG the cheerful jazz in the background lol. (Trying to live in the moment ...;-)
I am seeing this, hearing this, feeling this at a moment in time in my life when I have been contemplating this. Arthur has a direct way of sharing a topic that most would consider sensitive, yet it has resonated with me in a good way. Looking forward to exploring this book sometime.
'Managing your life as a project' - Wowww level analogy
I have to say I love this moment in history when enlightened media like this is popular and commonly accessible.
Thanks HBR. Important to do and hard to practice. Many of us start working and making money at a young age, and we work past 65 years old these days, it’s hard not to be identity as your work, we want that validation that what one does matters. But, keep practicing this everyone! You are not your work, be your best and find the right role/team.
This hit home! It’s crazy how an identity crisis can feel so overwhelming, but also be a chance for growth and self-discovery. 🙌 Thanks for shedding light on such a relatable topic. Anyone else feel like they’ve had to 'find themselves' more than once?
My party is finished two weeks back. I am in shock. Very refreshing to watch this video
You’re dead?
@@NESherv😂
Thank you Arthur Brooks for the 9-part meditation, as it puts in real perspective the legitimate boundaries between one's life, and one's career. I had similar thoughts, and some points resonated with me, albeit in an unstructured way. This mediation will fit well in my self reflection toolbox.
Thanks for this man, you are not your job, you are not your accomplishments, you are not your career, you are none of that.
Yes, feeling afraid, fearful, or failing is normal, and I think we often feel anxious about it and about what people think. What should I do? Arthur’s remark about meditation being one of the good solutions to our problems is helpful.
I have always told my children that my job doesn't define me but allows me to do the things in life that do. Should I lose the job, I will find another one so I can continue doing those things. Pretty simple.
The death meditation is also known in the western/christian practice as “momento mori”. Very powerful practice. I appreciate your commentary, thank you!
That is neither a western nor Christian practice fyi.
People love Eastern wisdom because it feels all zen and universal, while Christian ideas like memento mori get ignored for being “too religious.” Guess it’s cooler to meditate on death if it comes with incense and a Buddha statue.
@@SSwingjohnnie Memento Mori came from roman philosophy, not christianity.
I feel like this practice needs to be monitored by good therapists cause despite its benefit, it may be suitable for people with anxiety, but may not be for someone with depression.
For people with depression, what can help lift them up each day is hope, but reminding themselves about their worst fears, it's not the kind of mindset that's suitable for someone who's already lost hope in life. They'd forget the "despite changes, it's going to be okay" part and focus on the negatives instead
This video is so intense. Exposure therapy to the worst possible fears.
😅
It is always nice to listen to this guy (especially when he leaves the ending with religious advice out!)
I choose to be special instead of happy... that is a succinct way to put it.
loveee this! I say being a muslim, I went through this exact same thought process. And now I'm just living my life, fully aware of the reality I'm in, and tryna secure that highest rank in the hereafter. We all ARE a cog in the grand scheme of things, but its not a bad thing when you know whose controlling it
I love this guy now. Great wisdom without being preachy.
If this video is an hour or two of wisdom and work therapy from Professor Arthur C. Brooks so be it! We need it. Please share it HBR!!
Started thinking about this in my late 20s and I am happier for it. Left my career as a senior leader and became a full time artist eventually, and needless to say I am ok to not even be defined by that as long as I am happy and content enjoying life and fulfilling my purpose.
Contemplating on tha verses of the Qur'an brings you to reality - it helped me in this life on so many steps and honestly one doesn't need to be a Muslim to understand what it's saying as most of it is plain understandable
We should be free to be ourselves and to be real. It is essential to our well-being and we neglect this at our own peril and demise.
this video’s take really clicks with some of the things I've been reading in unveiling your hidden potential by bruce thornwood
This man should give a Ted Talk. Beautiful speaker.
All I had to do to was take a vacation to realize that my existence at work is nothing but a body that produces labor. If I am not there, people will fill in the gap. Eventually they'll just outright replace me and move on.
The way I feel about my position and status at work is purely about ego. The sooner you realize this, the sooner you can let go
As a motion designer and graphic designer, I typically watch these videos for inspiration in my own work. However, this video struck a chord with me and was truly inspiring, not just from a visual standpoint, but also because of Arthur C. Brooks' perspective.
Arthur C. Brooks has truly found Nirvana, to be able to speak like this. Now, I want some of it too.
I have an identity I am desperarely afraid of failing at, this is getting right at me at less than a minute in.
You are so much more than what you do!🎉 We are multifaceted creators! Failure is a part of learning!
I love this. I'm not in business, but I am in academia, and I am getting older. His words resonate and his advice is applicable to me too.
There should come an end to all our projects in this life... this is a truth
This man's communication skills are impressive
This is a powerful meditation tool and I think I can apply it to almost any shift or upcoming change… like aging. Thank you for the insight!
This is why I love Hardvard Content, It's so smart, people are so smart !
Killing you identity so is why people ponder over their deaths, the deaths lost their identity. I truly love smart content, it's so comforting in the misdt of useless content.
On the other side, as a personal story I'd like to share, I have never got a loss for perhaps all my life, and then I started an entrepreneurial journey and everything has only been about losing
As I get older I realise how much money I make is how much value I have. This makes me have an existential crisis especially when my job does not impact people's lives that much or when I am unemployed. This is depressing. Yeah it's like fear of death. I wanna leave something behind that's useful for other people and Idk what it's.
I think here it may be worth looking outside of job: try to volunteer, sit on a board or as trustee of some non profit organization that is close to your values. Even if that is an hour a week being engaged in service for others can make you feel better. Or different approach - maybe your job itself does not bring much of a value to average people or planet (lots of jobs don’t as business is there to make money, not to serve) BUT the means you have because of that job can be a contribution to something altruistic, i.e donations to charities etc.
Want to leave something useful for people? Yeah, then that "something" needs to be bigger than yourself, and that's your tribe and your family, a dinasty, a legacy.
Why don't you write a book? All humans can pass down some form of knowledge.
@@DakotaFord592 I upload my lessons online. I am a teacher but I teach online. Part of me thinks it's part of my immortality. When I die I hope someone or some people can get something from my lessons I upload on TH-cam. It's more detailed and I actually spent hours on editing and making graphic designs so I hope one day they can appreciate my video lessons.
If you keep looking the answer eventually comes. A good starting point is to know what is it you don't want and eventually you will find what is it you do want.
Awesome Content. 🔥
And the correct word is "Marananussathi" which loosely translates to "Keep the death in mind"
~A Buddhist from Sri Lanka~
Those steps sound great to me though! Retirement is a great prospect! I think for me a 9 step meditation should include the horrors of being replaced by AI in the field where I enjoy working.
I need to rewatch this every month
Every week for me 😅
People really need this right now.
I am thinking of similar trajectory for parents since their child is born and until they leave the nest. Thank you for the video. The Buddhist practices are helpful for people who are not monks as well
I have those exact realizations and i understand the reality of why i do and deal with it.
Interesting, I have very pragmatic approach. My job doesn't define who I am. What is the most important is what I am doing to feel like I am progressing in my life.
Professional identities and roles have come to define and dictate every aspect of a individual's life in the modern world. That's quite problematic as personality traits of the individual are socially ignored. The perception of the person is also directly linked to its financial condition and status.
Please keep on this series ! Mr. Brooks is transferring out-of-world wisdom that we desperately need .
This is excellent advise. Every student should hear this at the beginning of each year (to be sure it actually sinks in - lol).
It was a helpful video, this is somehow related to the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer. He was one of the first Western philosophers to combine Western philosophy and Buddhism.
This was one of the best videos I’ve seen in a while. Felt like a guided meditation for information I didn’t know I needed. Cheers.
Tailored suit is 👌
Ikr... Was scrolling to see who else caught that.
Submitting to Allah has given me the ultimate peace. I recommend it to all my brothers and sisters in humanity. Peace be upon you.
Thanks for sharing. Without decomposition, there is no nutrients for the soil, and hence growth. 😊
Very sharp wardrobe! Thought provoking perspective.
This has been the core of our philosophy and having been as a professional makes so much more sense to me. Defining yourself by your career traps you in a cycle of endless striving, but embracing the principles of dharma and letting go of attachment to outcomes can help you transcend this and lead a more meaningful, balanced life. It advocates for a dilution of the ego by selflessly performing one’s duties, or karma, with the ultimate goal of uniting with Brahman-the supreme, omnipresent cosmic consciousness. This ancient wisdom reminds us that we are far more than our titles or professional roles, and real fulfillment comes not from external success, but from realizing the deeper, interconnected nature of our existence.
Wow, what a straight forward yet amazing presentation of some simple, but hard truths. More of this guy please.
Professor...
Culture and history (including the "history of the Fmily" [family stories]; it can give wings/ even a sense of dignity, or keep you in limitations).
BR
*"Someone who has risen above his nation becomes someone exceptional". And hence: "The highest level of leadership is to lead other nations"
*But also the concept of a "transitional individual".
This guy is crazy insightful! I love these videos
I agree with all the things you just mentioned, but the problem is that the managerial people who control the corporate world, from CEO all the way down to the lower management, like most of them "want" us to have a high level of success in order for us to get hired, especially in high paying jobs that can mostly be found on companies with "names". They will ask you like what school did you come from or what kind of leadership do you have. And that would be a big problem especially for those who try to build up their career from the beginning (I feel sorry about the late bloomers). If you dont want us to have an identity crisis on careers, how can you change the "elitist" minds of these managers?
If you're in a job interview and they ask about your career, it makes sense, no? since you're going there to work, not make friends. But I think this video is talking about your own sense of self. When you ask yourself, who am I? And you answer your profession, it means your identity is tied to it, which isn't beneficial for you. You can't change other people, only yourself
@@av3ngers17 so are you saying that if the people who came from a no name school with unattractive work experiences, especially if they lack leadership skills, they should humble themselves and stay at their current level of career instead of wishing for a higher level in order for them not to have identity crisis on careers? And the people with high IQ and well connected who are capable of becoming part of the elite are okay to level up without worries? That's very unfair I would say. Take note if you want to level up experiencing identity crisis on careers would exist, and one way is to woo these elitist minded managers and people at the bottom who has low IQs and lack of networks cannot do anything about that, because that is how the system works.
@@av3ngers17 so are you saying that people like with low IQs and have no networks need to humble themselves instead of wishing and trying to reach for a higher level careers in order for them to avoid identity crisis on careers when they fail, and at the same time people that belong to upper strata can easily reach out high careers without worries even though they fail? I dont think that's a fair play.
this is super mindblowing and helpful at the same time.. thank you
I like this insight, but I don't know if I'm missing something, because this seems pitched only to successful people. What about those who lost success and can't live a life where money isn't an issue in order to maintain health, relationships, even a roof under your head? What about those who just can't seem to reach professional success and are looked down as mediocre? Make no mistake, people will define you for your success and will have no issues saying you're a failure to everyone else.
Sure, it's kind of easy to let got and accept what's coming after being a CEO or a Professor at Harvard...
Thanks for sharing these thoughts! A great new perspective indeed.
As a Muslim, I believe we should submit to God's will, which is why we need not fear anything. This submission allows us to trust in His wisdom and plan for our lives. This encourages us to face life's challenges with courage and resilience, rather than being overwhelmed by fear, we can draw on our belief that everything happens for a reason, and that God guides us through difficult times.
I couldn't agree more! ❤
So long as one is part of society one will always seek one's identity within that society. Only humans who live in extreme conditions (far removed from human civilization) or those who are self-actualised and no longer identify with even their own body can avoid this "identity crisis". "Who we are" is a dynamic question, so the answer can't be static either.
Preparing mentally for the end of a career helps reduce fear and allows us to live more fully in the present.
I think to have this sort of mentality first requires a lot of self confidence
What is completely missing is the differentiation between "job" and "profession", which together constitute your career, here career is defined as just a job.
#7 made me feel panic. I was ok up til then. I can see it happening.
If people had a choice on what problems they had to have, dealing with success would be their top choice. Finding or achieving (financial) success is often harder than dealing with its consequences. People identify as successful because as an identity its benefits far outweigh the cost. The identity of being unsuccessful on the other hand is a drain on all fronts. The problem really is that there are limited ways to identify yourself that are beneficial to quality of life other than career success. It's easier to contemplate death when life has the benefits of success. Time running out on finding success gives death a different perspective.
I agree with eliminating fear out of it, but making it normal I think is a step too far. Sure, if that's the only option you have, go for it. It shouldn't become the norm for an Olympic athlete to be last. But sure, he might perform better if he accepts it as a potential option.
Wonderful and timely. Wish HBR had not opted for the music in the background.
This is a good exercise, but it's pretty out of touch for most people with work anxiety. Most work-related anxiety is not late-career professionals afraid of 'losing their edge and retiring'. Would that we were all lucky enough to actually have such a career.
I think the exercise would be more relevant to most workers if they imagined losing their job, being unemployed or underemployed, having effects on their family, and possibly losing their credentials and other work-related aspects of their identity. The way this professor frames it is too niche.
When asked "who are you?" my first impulse was always to say "I'm a human being" But that sounds weird to people so "I'm an interpreter. We're working together with my husband. We've been happily married for 25 years. We have two grown up sons" is what I say instead
Thankyou
Simple common sense things - focus on what you’re good at. Do things according to your sense of right and wrong and honour. Sleep easy.
Who cares if someone else gets ahead faster. Better focus on living happily rather than competing.
I was a school custodian for 20 years. Ironically, the officer workers that were paid less than me treated me as a simpleton where the people in really expensive suits and dresses with nice cars came to me for input and advice.
I never really understood the reason for that because two chimpanzees and a Starfleet cadet(Star trek 3) could have done my job. But those $150,000 a year people treated me like an equal.
Weird thing is; i have the fear of failing at work, yet complete failure and a forced restart would probably be one of the best things that could happen to me.
I live as a maverick, be in the world and not of the world and disconneted, deprogrammed and learn to live everyday in meditative state( Aware of my essence entombed in the body)
“Your going to submit. Because that’s the only choice.”
I am wondering how this will affect the work that one is doing at the moment.
It might help feel better about the things when they actually happen, but how does this acceptance towards failure affect the current work at stake?
His take is "admit the truth, it all sorta doesnt matter" is sorta feudalistic but i get it. But the TRUTH is you have inherent worth because you are a human being! You are ALIVE today and you are LOVED by others and by God. You need to explore and live in that love. Today, 150,000 people will cease to exist (statistically) but you will live today and there will not be another like you. You are valuable and that is why you dont put your identity in a career because YOU ARE MORE than a career not because "oh well, i will die one day so my career doesn't really matter" . I worry he has taken "positive thinking" and put it into "positive thinking negatively about 'reality of outcomes in the future" but the real answer is deeper than that. You are more than what you do.
“Feudalistic” means related to the political system of feudalism. What did he say that was related to exchanging land holding for military service 🤔. Or did you mean “fatalism”?
@@Nohandleentered yes you are correct
fatalistic