Member-only story
Pursue people. You’ll be happier and achieve more. Here’s how.
Pete Docter talked about what happened after Inside Out debuted, which was perhaps the best and certainly most complex film he’d directed. Nothing happened. Everyone loved the movie, it made tons of money, but Docter felt…empty.
The sense of accomplishment drained from him as quickly as the screen faded to black.
What’s wrong with me? he thought. If pursuing my dream, if success in that pursuit, won’t give my lasting happiness, what will?
These questions informed Soul — which might be the best Pixar movie yet — they influenced his interview with Terry Gross above, and they’ve been on my mind all week.
Oscar Wilde said one of the tragedies of life is getting everything you want. If you subscribe to this channel and are reading to here you’re more than likely a driven, creative type. We want to produce great work. We want that work recognized. We even want it to outlive us. Why else put up with middling pay and idiotic middlemen?
When we succeed we especially want the feeling of satisfaction to last.
It never does though.
Maybe it was a coincidence or perhaps an intervention from a higher power, but as I thought about…
