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A Blog About Creativity

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A New (End Middle) Beginning
A New (End Middle) Beginning

I rebranded by accident.

Not entirely by accident, of course. But there was quite a bit of serendipity involved.

I’ve never used a slick stage name or a meaningful phrase to represent my personal brand. The right concept remained elusive, so my name has been my brand.

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You’re Doing It Wrong: Happiness
Offbeat Philosophy, You're Doing It Wrong Evan Michael Brown Offbeat Philosophy, You're Doing It Wrong Evan Michael Brown

You’re Doing It Wrong: Happiness

Ah, the pursuit if happiness, an American institution so beloved it’s scribbled on a little piece of our country’s history we call the Declaration of Independence. Surely a man from Philadelphia, the very town in which that historic document was signed, would never dare to criticize such a hallowed phrase.

Of course I would, because this is the Internet and I have the power to tell an adoring public my self-important opinions. I’m going to wield that power like crazy right now, because this one’s a doozy: happiness is a lie, and contentment is overrated.

 

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Success is Bullshit
Offbeat Philosophy, You're Doing It Wrong Evan Michael Brown Offbeat Philosophy, You're Doing It Wrong Evan Michael Brown

Success is Bullshit

That’s right, I said it. Success, as most of us define it, is total BS. Think about it: it’s a completely relative, absolutely arbitrary measure we create in our own minds to judge ourselves against. And when you set that bar high, you end up spending a good part of your life, or even your entire life, knocking your self-worth down a peg when you’re not reaching your own subjective and lofty standards. It actually doesn’t make any sense and is directly related to the innate problems of perfectionism that seem productive but are actually self-destructive. And that’s why it’s bullshit.

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The Self-Help Delusion
How To, Offbeat Philosophy, You're Doing It Wrong Evan Michael Brown How To, Offbeat Philosophy, You're Doing It Wrong Evan Michael Brown

The Self-Help Delusion

I think it’s time to get over this whole “self help” thing. There is an entire industry based around telling us that they have the elusive secret to happiness, that if you just read this book, watch that video or do these exercises you can become a better, fuller person. I’ve read a lot of stuff like this, and even though I appreciate good advice, I’ve come to almost resent the whole idea of “self improvement.” I resent it because it tricked me into putting my energy towards trying to find something that I had all along.

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