Geoffrey Yang - WritingDisillusionment

Successful reflections share a common trait.

I’ve long believed this trait was ‘empowerment’ — getting answers to unsolved questions through conversation was the best way to take action.

Recently, I found myself in a conversation with Ben — while it left me doubtful, it stands out as an equally thoughtful and intellectually stimulating one. We reflected on one principle:

Disillusionment.

While it often has negative associations in our culture, it can be a powerful tool for self-discovery. When confronting what disappoints us or what we’re avoiding, we learn much about ourselves.

Disillusionment is a mirror. It’s able to nudge us out of complacency and question our status quo. When we embrace the discomfort and uncertainty that comes with it, we open ourselves up to new possibilities and perspectives.

It's like the movie "Soul", (spoiler alert) where the pianist Joe finds his purpose, through disillusionment (+ the help of 22 & conversations like those below).

The important thing is, each moment of disillusionment reveals a piece of wisdom about our identity and values.

Wisdom is simply life experiences, and is distinct from deep thought. There’s no gas pedal to accelerate it — embracing opportunities as they come does it far better than reading books or viewing programs. The more you live, the more you know, the more there is to know.

Gradually, it provides the ability to hone in on what matters: not just what’s scalable, but also what sparks joy, beauty, or curiosity.

Moving forward, whether I’m contemplating esoteric philosophical concepts, or dialled in to deep work, I’ll be conscious to discover myself better.
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