Hustle culture stole the word excellence and gutted its true meaning | Brad Stulberg: Full Interview

This video explores the concept of excellence, differentiating it from common misconceptions and outlining its core components. The speaker, Brad Stulberg, author of "The Way of Excellence," emphasizes that true excellence is not about elaborate routines or superficial achievements, but rather "involved engagement in something worthwhile that aligns with your values." This engagement shapes character through the process of pursuing goals, fostering resilience, consistency, and self-kindness. Excellence cultivates a sense of mastery (competence) and mattering (belonging to something larger than oneself). The concept of "quality," as described by Robert Pirsig in "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance," is presented as fundamental to excellence. Pirsig's "Quality" (capitalized) signifies an intimate relationship between an actor and their action, where the distinction between subject and object dissolves. This aligns with the biological drive for "homeostatic upregulation," an innate urge in all living species to persist and flourish. While this drive historically focused on survival and procreation, humans extend it to pursuits like athletics, music, leadership, and parenting, seeking growth and aspiration. The idea of "situated cognition," coined by sociologist Richard Sennett, further illustrates excellence. It describes how individuals at the peak of their craft think with their entire being, not just their intellect, blending mind and body in a seamless, intuitive process. This is closely related to the four phases of competence: unconscious incompetence (not knowing you don't know), conscious incompetence (knowing you don't know), conscious competence (knowing you are doing it right, with effort), and finally, unconscious competence (effortless, intuitive performance, often referred to as "the zone" or flow). Masters of craft navigate these phases, understanding when to apply conscious effort and when to trust their developed intuition. Excellence is contrasted with perfectionism, obsession, happiness, and optimization. It is described as a deeply human and humane pursuit, distinct from merely achieving flow states, which can be temporary and even "shitty" if not aligned with values. Several barriers to the pursuit of excellence are identified. "Disedolution" refers to our modern environment presenting traps our evolutionary hardwiring isn't equipped for, such as readily available high-calorie food or superficial social media validation replacing genuine community. Optimization culture, characterized by excessive tracking and control of every life aspect, risks turning individuals into robots and diminishing the felt, human experience of excellence. The speaker uses the example of golfer J.J. Spahn, who won a major tournament despite a sleepless night due to a sick child, to illustrate how over-reliance on optimization tools can lead to fragility. "Shitty flow" is defined as an experience that mimics flow but leaves one feeling worse afterward, often due to a lack of alignment with personal values. The key differentiator is how one feels *after* the experience, not during. Two types of burnout are discussed: conventional burnout from overwork, and "zombie burnout," which stems from a lack of engagement in meaningful activities, even with moderate work hours. Pursuing excellence is presented as the antidote to zombie burnout, as it involves deep caring and engagement in activities that align with one's values. The "happiness industrial complex" is criticized for promoting the idea that the sole purpose of life is to chase happiness. The speaker argues that happiness is a byproduct, not a direct pursuit, and that true flourishing comes from seeking satisfaction, meaning, and fulfillment. The famous "experience machine" thought experiment highlights that most people would choose a life with genuine meaning and challenges over constant, artificial euphoria. Another misconception is viewing excellence as a static standard or endpoint (like winning a championship or achieving a specific rank). Instead, excellence is about the journey, the process, and the character development that occurs on the "sides of the mountain" rather than solely at the peak. The "arrival fallacy" is the mistaken belief that achieving a specific goal will bring lasting happiness or contentment. Key factors for pursuing excellence include: * **Goals:** Providing a target and shape for one's pursuits, but with a focus on a "process over outcomes" mindset. This involves breaking down big goals into smaller, manageable steps and focusing on daily actions. * **Consistency:** Stringing together many good days over long periods, rather than relying on occasional "heroic" days. This requires building capacity through sustained effort and avoiding overexertion that leads to injury or burnout. The "get 1% better every day" mindset is valuable for consistency but should not be taken literally; progress is often nonlinear, with plateaus being a normal part of the journey. * **Patience:** Understanding that significant achievements take years to develop. This involves playing the long game, embracing plateaus as opportunities for deeper growth, and focusing on micro-objectives to maintain presence and motivation. Ultimately, the pursuit of excellence is presented as a birthright that makes us feel alive and good in the world, a holistic endeavor that shapes character and leads to deep satisfaction and fulfillment.