Friday, September 18, 2020

Lessons learned from David Fincher's The Social Network / Happenings In The Outhouse 18-Sept-2020

Ideas are a dime a dozen, or so says the saying.  Most ideas turn out to be nothing without a power behind them to turn them into something tangible.

One can say that most ideas are crap.

But are they?  My feeling is that those who say it are covering up their own insecurities about failing to produce something while comparing themselves to those who did.

Over the Labor Day weekend, I watched The Social Network, directed by the amazing David Fincher.  I understand that the movie was based loosely on true events, and there is a scene in the film that struck me.  In the scene, the Winklevoss twins are speaking with the Harvard University president, pleading their case about Zuckerberg's theft of their social network idea to create Facebook and how it went against the college's ethics.  The president dismisses their claim and tells them that students at Harvard create ideas all the time.  He then advises them to move on and do something else.

In other words, create something else.

Earlier that day, I watched another program and someone in the show said, "Go show them the ropes."  That phrase of showing someone the ropes just wouldn't leave me for the longest time.  It kept rattling over and over again in my head.  I kept seeing someone being promoted and then, in the end, a noose is tied around their neck and they fall to their death.

Creepy, huh?

It's an idea.  I wrote down the idea, putting it away for another time with all the other ideas I have.  Will I get to it one day?  Possibly.  It may be a novel, a short story, maybe even a piece of flash fiction.  At this point, I have absolutely no idea--no pun intended.

But if someone takes this idea and makes a million dollars out of it, good for them.  I don't need any credit from it.  Because, chances are, my idea would've turned out differently than theirs anyway and they just made a better mousetrap.

Do something with your ideas.  If you seem to have too many, just pick one and do something with it.  Create.  Stop with the excuses.  The world needs you more than you think.

Also, don't horde ideas.  Share them if you wish.  Ideas really are a dime a dozen.  Be good at creating ideas.

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