How to Think Like Apollo and Live Like Dionysus | Meryl Poster | TEDxWakeForestU

During high school, I learned about the Greek gods and the two forces shaping human life: the Dionysian, driven by passion and instinct, and the Apollonian, guided by reason and discipline. This tension between passion and structure has defined my life and career. My dream was to work in the William Morris mailroom, the only way I knew to enter the entertainment industry, but I was told they only hired insiders. Undeterred, I called HR for an informative interview, connecting with Ruth Anneion, who had just started. She told me to stay in touch, so I sent her postcards from my year abroad. She later advised me to learn typing, so I attended secretarial skills classes. After graduating, I still needed a connection. My parents knew our temple’s cantor, who was friends with a prominent William Morris agent. The cantor, remembering me as his best Bat Mitzvah student, happily made the introduction. The agent gave me five minutes, which was all I needed to begin interviewing as a trainee. In 1986, I was one of the few women in the mailroom. I loved the job, absorbing the business by studying meeting minutes and memos. My "good instincts" were born from this diligent work, understanding how the industry functioned. Years later, as a film executive, I tracked down a studio head in New York by systematically calling every high-end hotel, refusing to accept "we can't tell you" as an answer. This persistence, combined with deep feeling and an inability to follow instructions, led someone to describe me as "the most capable, incapable person they've ever met." Growing up, my parents nurtured my unique spirit, encouraging creativity and being true to myself. My mother would tell teachers, "Don't break her spirit," and my father instilled principles like "do the right thing" and "play the part"—meaning to act like you belong. This upbringing fostered confidence and the ability to speak up. It was only in my 50s, during COVID, that I was diagnosed with severe ADD, and things clicked into place. In 1995, during Oscar Weekend, I was hosting our Academy campaign party. A successful agent insisted I meet his client, a breakout TV star named George Clooney, whom I didn't recognize. He showed up for lunch, charming and insistent on paying the check, which impressed me. I invited him to our party, where I introduced him to Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. This led to Clooney’s first film role in "From Dust Till Dawn." My decision to embrace newcomers wasn't reckless; it was earned instinct, backed by the credibility I had built. I am passionate about creating life-changing opportunities. People perceive me as direct and tough, but underneath is immense thought and care. I learned that to push boundaries, you must understand what you're pushing against. Less is more; you don't need to overexplain or justify yourself. I pass these principles to my children and colleagues. My son, a comedian, was rejected by USC but appealed by submitting a play he wrote, getting accepted and later receiving an award for being the most diversely talented student. He owned his story. Operate from strength, not weakness. Don't worry about what you can't do; embrace what you're good at. If you're only Dionysian, you become chaotic. If only Apollonian, you become safe and wait to be chosen. But combine them, and you become powerful. You need the madness and the method. Relentlessness is disciplined boldness. Integrity is structure with a spine. Instinct is experience meeting courage. Don't ask for permission; earn the right not to. If someone tells you no, ask if it's a rule or fear. If it's fear, don't ask permission, but if you break a rule, ensure you've done the work.