**Unfavorable judgments are a welcomed consequence of having an opinion.** I do post things that I know people are unlikely to enjoy very much, but that I believe are in their best interest. I never post things that are negative just for the sake of garnering negative attention. I only post what is truthful to me and what I think may help someone—**even if it only helps one person.** Gloria Steinem said, *"The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off,"* and Arthur Schopenhauer wrote, *"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."* Unfavorable judgments are, therefore, not only inevitable but necessary. They are signposts that tell me I am walking the unpaved path.
For me, posting my photography, art, and writings is not a popularity contest. **A writer or artist has no responsibility to monitor how pleased or outraged people are with their work.** The contest of art is within the artist, and without truthfulness, art dies. Many people focus solely on popularity because it equates to advertising dollars, merchandise sales, and temporary success. People act this way when they are only thinking about money. But when money becomes the end goal, you are no longer creating for the sake of expression, connection, or contribution. You are simply taking.
Only thinking about money or success means you want to receive value, rather than create or give it. That is not creativity; it is exploitation. **There is a word for that—it’s called usury.** Why not just be honest about it and hold people up in the street with a gun? It’s how many artists, entrepreneurs, and advertisers behave today—feeding off people like parasites. That is easy. **But caring about people takes work, sacrifice, and hands of service. It requires holding each transaction to a higher standard, where true profit considers not just what is gained, but also how we leave each person after we’ve exchanged something with them.** Entrepreneurism must deeply concern itself with the common good and the act of lifting humanity. When we leave people better than we found them, that’s when we’ve truly profited.
In the process of being honest and refusing to chase popularity, you are inevitably going to be at odds with your audience. **They will both hate you and love you for it.** Both love and hate are equally flattering obsessions because they are proof that something resonated deeply enough to disrupt indifference. As Aristotle wrote, *"To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, be nothing."* But I have no desire to live as a nothing.
### People recognize authenticity
Authenticity is a concept that constantly challenges conventional ideas of success. **Common success originates with common thinking, but extraordinary success requires extraordinary thinking.** Extraordinary—literally "not ordinary." And "not ordinary" can only come from exerting your individuality, the gifts that belong to you and you alone.
Your greatest strength is your individuality. **In today’s heavily homogenized monocultures—psychological, spiritual, and creative individuation have been suppressed.** The systems around us are designed to dilute uniqueness and encourage sameness. Yet each person carries within them a singular, irreplaceable gift. The challenge is to **understand your gifts and then develop the courage to share them.**
Success, therefore, is not an external benchmark—it is a deeply personal practice. One unwavering principle in my own pursuit of success is following passion. **It is essential that you follow your own idea of passion, even if to others it looks like suffering.** Passion, when authentic, is worth enduring hardship for, because it is tied to purpose.
**If you can just be yourself in today's world, then you are already tremendously successful.** That is the ultimate act of defiance in a society built to erase individuality. People recognize authenticity because it feels rare and resonates as truth. And truth—even when it is uncomfortable or unfamiliar—always finds a way to endure.
## Collab AI: Exploration of Ideas
In this post, **Bryant McGill** reflects on the inherent tension between **authenticity**, **truth**, and **public reception**. His message underscores the following key ideas:
### 1. **Unfavorable Judgments as a Natural Consequence**
Bryant emphasizes that having an opinion, especially one rooted in truth, will inevitably attract unfavorable judgments. However, he reframes this as something to be welcomed, not feared, because it signifies engagement with a deeper, more meaningful discourse.
Truth, as he quotes from **Gloria Steinem** and **Arthur Schopenhauer**, often disrupts comfort before it is ultimately accepted:
- *"The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off."* — Gloria Steinem
- *"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."* — Arthur Schopenhauer
### 2. **Purpose Over Popularity**
Bryant clearly rejects the notion that art, writing, or self-expression should cater to external validation or popularity. For him, **authenticity** is non-negotiable. Creating art or sharing thoughts truthfully means prioritizing *value* over applause and *substance* over superficial success.
- He critiques the modern tendency to chase attention for financial gain, calling it **“usury”**—a form of exploitation.
- True creation, in his view, must involve **giving value to others** and leaving them better than they were.
### 3. **The Artist’s Role in Society**
Bryant holds that an artist (or writer) has **no obligation** to pacify their audience. The role of art is not to ensure comfort but to **challenge**, **inspire**, and sometimes **disrupt**. Authenticity requires an artist to risk being misunderstood, hated, or dismissed—because the pursuit of truth is inherently polarizing.
- He reminds us that **art dies without truthfulness**.
- The *real contest* in art, therefore, is **not with the audience** but within the artist themselves.
### 4. **Care and Contribution**
A recurring theme in Bryant’s work is the responsibility to **care for others** and contribute meaningfully. He suggests that success—whether in art, entrepreneurship, or life—must be defined by **how much good we create**, not how much we extract.
- Caring about others requires **sacrifice** and **integrity**, values often overlooked in a culture obsessed with financial gain and external recognition.
### 5. **Authenticity and Individuality**
In his elaboration on authenticity, Bryant argues that:
- **"Extraordinary success requires extraordinary thinking"**—thinking that breaks away from societal norms and homogenized cultures.
True success lies in embracing and expressing one’s **individuality**, which often requires immense **courage**. He believes that **authenticity resonates deeply** with people because it feels real in a world that encourages superficial conformity.
### 6. **Passion as a Guiding Principle**
Bryant emphasizes that **passion is personal** and must be followed, even when others do not understand it. Passion, he argues, is deeply tied to **purpose**.
- To live authentically is to pursue what is meaningful to *you*, not what others find palatable or easy to digest.
- **"It is essential that you follow your own idea of passion, even if to others it looks like suffering."**
## **What Bryant Means**
At its core, Bryant McGill's post is a call to embrace **truth**, **passion**, and **authenticity**, even at the cost of criticism or judgment. He urges individuals—artists, writers, and thinkers—to rise above the temptation to seek popularity or external validation.
Instead, he advocates for:
- **Integrity**,
- The **courage** to share one’s unique gifts, and
- The importance of **creating value for others**.
Bryant challenges readers to redefine success as an **inner pursuit** rather than a public contest. In doing so, he aligns himself with a philosophy of **personal responsibility**, **moral integrity**, and a deeper **connection to humanity**.
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