Stop Chasing Virality. It Won't Save You in the AI Era.

#ai

Hey it's Buono. I've been thinking about how to live in the AI era for about two years now. No grand conclusion yet. But after reading a bunch of books and listening to other people in the AI space, one keyword keeps showing up everywhere.

Obsessive love.

What I Mean by Obsessive Love

The Japanese word is "henai" — roughly translated, it means a deep, borderline irrational passion for something that nobody else really understands.

Everyone has at least one thing like this. Something you're weirdly into that you maybe don't even talk about. Something that makes zero sense to the people around you.

In the AI era, that thing might be the most important asset you have.

Why? Because without it, you're going to be lost.

I don't mean you'll starve. Basic survival will probably be fine. But your sense of purpose, your reason to get up in the morning — that's what's at stake.

AI is going to keep absorbing more and more of what humans currently do. Which means the list of things you "need" to do keeps shrinking. Eventually you hit the bottom: "What am I even supposed to do with myself?"

If you have nothing when you reach that point, it's devastating. I know because I've been there. Having money, having free time, having zero obligations — and having absolutely nothing you want to do. It's genuinely one of the worst experiences of my life.

But if you have something you're obsessed with? Something that's entirely yours? You're untouchable.

Virality Is the Opposite of This

Here's where it gets interesting.

Everyone right now is optimizing for virality. "Will this blow up?" has become the default filter for every decision — what to post, what to create, even what to think about.

I was doing this too.

But think about what "going viral" actually means. It's entirely based on what OTHER people think. Whether YOU find it interesting is completely irrelevant. The metric is external validation, not personal meaning.

Live in that mode long enough and something scary happens: you lose yourself. You stop knowing what you actually like. You stop knowing what excites you. Your inner compass disappears because you've been navigating by everyone else's compass for so long.

That's the exact opposite of obsessive love.

The Stag Beetle Guy Gets It

I heard this story on Ikehaya's podcast. There's a community of people who are completely obsessed with catching stag beetles. It makes no money. Nobody outside the community cares. Their wives and families look at them like they're crazy.

But these guys don't care. They're out there chasing beetles because something deep inside them says THIS IS IT.

I have zero interest in stag beetles personally. But watching someone that locked in to their thing? Kind of jealous honestly.

What's Your Obsessive Love?

So here's the question: do you have something like that? Something nobody around you understands, but you can't stop thinking about?

Mine right now is 2D animation with motion graphics. I've fallen completely into the rabbit hole and nothing else can hold my attention.

It actually started almost 10 years ago when I made an animation for a friend's wedding. I was supposed to be organizing the whole event but I got so absorbed in the animation that I basically ignored everything else. Classic.

Then life happened and I drifted away from it. Until I discovered Kurzgesagt on YouTube. The moment I saw their work I thought "I want to make stuff like this." Instant obsession.

(Then I found out a single video takes them over 1,200 hours and I wanted to cry. But still.)

Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell - YouTube

Animation videos explaining things with optimistic nihilism since 12,013. We’re a team of illustrators, animators, number crunchers and one dog who aim to spark curiosity about science and the world we live in. To us nothing is boring if you tell a good story. For updates on our videos and other news from the kurzgesagt universe follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

youtube.com

The point is — find your thing. Not the thing that performs well. Not the thing that makes strategic sense. The thing that hijacks your brain and won't let go.

That's what survives the AI era.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got animation to study.

Catch you later ✌️