Caught Trying
Authority, ego, and New Year's resolutions
Is it too late to say Happy New Year?
Depends on how you measure. If you’re reading this today, February 10, then it’s the 42nd day of 2025. Rounding up, only 12 percent of the year has elapsed. Sure, we’ve passed the Super Bowl, but we haven’t even touched Valentine’s Day!
In absolute terms, the year is young.
Half of us have lost our New Year’s resolve, though, and the other half were above it to begin with. Cute, everyone’s resolving to exercise more and eat less. I’ll be here when you’re all back to reality.
I went to Times Square; the confetti’s all gone. But let’s not move on so quickly.
Look at the word authority. What are the first six letters?
That was a professor’s response to my question in class. The subject was literary theory, and we were discussing the work of one prominent theorist. The reading was interesting, but it felt—well, theoretical. It wasn’t grounded in any particular event, nor did it seem to launch from any prior debate or influence. It seemed baseless, like the writer just made up this theory one day and wrote a whole book to explain.
My question to the professor was, basically, “Where’s he pulling this from?”
The answer? He wrote the book.
In most arenas, my professor’s words are true, and there’s something important in them. The author’s authority starts with authoring.
At a certain level, it doesn’t matter why someone writes, or to what it’s in response. This theorist wrote ideas down, and people accepted them. He changed the conversation, so now he’s a part of the conversation. He set out writing a book and ended up writing the textbook.
So too, with the people you trust. Who’s your expert on sports? Whose voice do you trust on news, politics, religion? We imagine it backwards—first everyone agrees someone’s insight is invaluable, then they have authority to speak. We act as though our influences are somehow quantifiably, verifiably deserving.
It would be that simple, if only we always agreed.
Look at where they studied—But someone else there disagrees.
Look at their job/position—But plenty of bad people reach the same position.
Look how many people agree—But there’s always someone else with more followers, more listeners, more acclaim. And they think this guy’s full of it.
When we recognize authority in others, what we recognize is something quite subjective. It’s not that they deserve authority; it’s that they took it. They wrote the guide. They started the business. They inserted themselves in the picture. For one reason or another, it worked.
This is why sharp, intelligent people fail to see ambitions materialize. They think they’ll get around to authoring, as soon as people recognize their much deserved authority.
I have friends who should be authors, literally. People love what they have to say. Unfortunately, they rationalize their avoidance. They talk about writing hypothetically—if I wrote a book one day—as if it’s not something they could try now. I think, Dude, you would have no problem. People would eat your books up. But if you’re waiting for the mob at the door before you get started, it’s not happening.
People sometimes say it would be an act of ego to do it—the thing they’ve been dreaming of doing. Usually, it’s an act of ego that they don’t.
If you were begged, you imagine, you would reluctantly step up and change the world. It just so happens your number hasn’t been called.
That’s ego: thinking yourself so great that people should be lined up waiting before you even start.
Let’s come back to where we started—with New Year’s resolutions.
I didn’t set any, and I don’t think anyone has to. What annoys me are those who think they’re above them.
Look at everyone setting the same few goals as last year, you think. But you aren’t that type of person. You deserve to get in shape without being the type of person who tries to get in shape. You deserve to have the money without being the person who tries to save money.
The phrase used to be, “I’ll ____ or die trying.” Today, it’s “Trying? I’ll die.” Everyone wants to be seen, but no one wants to be seen trying.
Here are some things that are true: No one ought to try everything. There are reasons not to try things. There are things that would be nice to try but aren’t feasible. There are things you try and fail at, for no reason other than bad luck.
But there’s no prize for the things you assure yourself you would try. No confetti for the celebration of ego.
If New Year’s is fake anyway, then set a goal today. Write a good chapter. Or get caught trying.
reminds me of asap rocky's quote: when did it become cool to not try?