3 Things I (Re)Learned After Yesterday’s Post

  1. A small minority of people are freaks when money comes up.
    A few of you sent me a link to the comment section of a blog. I should have known better but I clicked that link (and regretted it immediately). As always, I quickly observed how blog comment sections are the armpit of the internet. It’s just a different breed of stupidity there. These people are so cartoonishly uninformed that they manage to make bloggers look smart. Not easy to do. But lack of knowledge doesn’t stop them from having strong (and almost always negative) opinions. Without knowing my offer amount or any details, these people who don’t know a thing about this blog were getting typically aggressive. As if someone they don’t know being offered money was a personal attack on them. As if their own value would be threatened if someone was doing better than they realized. They couldn’t understand that certain things are more meaningful than revenue. Those small-minded sheep reminded me that…
  2. Millennials live on a different planet.
    Millennial land is a strange place. It’s as if nothing exists if it doesn’t happen on social media. Their perception of what is successful is the result of a total lack of street smarts. Their technology-dulled instincts are almost always wrong. What the rest of us experienced humans recognize as shallow fluff…these children get impressed by. They are incredibly vulnerable to salesmanship and to snake oil salesmen. So kids, here’s a lesson you’ll learn when you become big boys and girls. It will likely be after you’ve been burned a few times. Almost everyone who advertises what a “big deal” they are is full of shit. What you see as a success story is often going to be a mirage. But many of the people who don’t need to sell you…who aren’t spending their energy advertising…well, there might be more to them than you know. Your understanding is very limited. Just because this blog was built to exist outside of the bubble of advertising you’re familiar with…doesn’t mean you have a clue of its reach. You have no idea of its impact. What’s actually relevant in this world are people who create something. People who make a real impact on individuals. You can’t measure that with money, fame, or Twitter followers. Oh, and making snarky comments on an internet message board doesn’t make you anything but an example of what not to be.
  3. The readers of this blog are incredible.
    The 2 or 3 people above don’t mean a thing to me. What really affected me yesterday were the hundreds of thoughtful emails. I literally couldn’t go 5 minutes without getting another one. Every single message was kind, supportive, and put a smile on my face. Seriously, I was smiling all day long. I’ve never been more motivated to do right by you guys. I mean, the generosity actually moved me. And I’ve gotten nice messages every day for years. Some of you were really pushing me to do what was best for myself. Others were warmly sharing how much you enjoy this blog. Many expressed they wouldn’t keep reading if I left. It was just email after email full of love. Well, as I said, I’ve got no plans to go anywhere right now. The show goes on and we’ll get back to the deals next week. Have a great weekend, nerds!