[Music] Imagine you have a dream you're striving to achieve. You're working hard, perhaps for years or decades. You've made sacrifices to get to where you are, and now you finally have your shot at really making it happen.

But what if, as you get closer to your goal, your ambition shifts from a source of motivation to something more tormenting? You're finally getting to do what you wanted to do, but you find it difficult to even enjoy that thing while you do it.

This, by all appearances, is K's reality in the FX show The Bear.

For him, every success seems quickly overshadowed by the next thing he needs to do, the next improvement he needs to make to really get to where he wants to go.

In chasing his dream, he's paying a steep price.

He's chronically stressed, he's blowing up at the people around him, and he ends up pushing one of the real sources of happiness in his life away because he thinks she's getting in the way of his goal.

He alienates the very people who are helping him get to where he wants to go.

But it seems like he can feel it; he's almost there. He can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Maybe he hopes he'll finally have a sense of satisfaction, peace, and happiness once he has those Michelin stars within his grasp.

How often do we find ourselves like K, so lost in the pursuit of success or self-improvement that we're unable to enjoy the journey?

Or you've dedicated so much time to achieving that goal that you're no longer able to enjoy any other part of your life, ambition is a theme we've seen explored in the movies countless times, whether it's the tension between ambition and relationships in La La Land and Whiplash, or the psychological cost of relentlessly pursuing artistic perfection in Black Swan.

Cinema is packed full of stories about the cost of ambition, like we see in The Social Network, There Will Be Blood, and The Godfather. In Oppenheimer, we see a man who's haunted by the results of his ambition.

The Wolf of Wall Street shows us a society that rewards the ambitious, regardless of whether they lie, cheat, or steal to gain their success.

Citizen Kane explores a character who finds emptiness on the other side of success.

These are just a few examples in a sea of stories that either celebrate ambitious characters or warn of ambitious pitfalls, and I think it totally makes sense that this is a common theme.

The tension between what we want in life and what we might have to sacrifice to get that is a central conflict in many of our lives, so it makes sense that we're drawn to big romantic cinematic portrayals of that conflict.

But I do wonder if in the midst of Hollywood and American films' obsession with ambition and ambitious characters, we're missing something.

Like we're skeptical of ambition in our stories, but that skepticism is only about how ambition is directed and used.

Whether we're celebrating the positives of ambition or warning against its potential dangers and pitfalls, the presumption seems to almost always be that the protagonist will be ambitious.

What would it look like if we told the story of a life not defined by the relentless pursuit of ambition?

Have you ever noticed the beautiful shifting pattern that is created by sunlight streaming through trees? It shimmers and dances almost like like water but in its own unique way, it's sometimes only there for a fleeting moment, and it can turn a dead log or plain wall into an impressionist painting unique to that moment, created by the relationship between the sunlight, trees, and wind.

The Japanese word for this is 'kabi' a word without a direct English equivalent that encompasses not just the phenomenon itself but also the feeling associated with appreciating it.

It is this pattern of light that's often noticed by Hiyama, the protagonist of Wim Wenders' 2023 film about a toilet cleaner in Tokyo.

Amidst a cinematic landscape dominated by ambitious pursuits, 'Perfect Day' sits in quiet contrast to most other stories that examine ambition.

The film follows Hiyama as he goes through his daily routine. We watch as he gets ready for his day, listens to music as he drives to work, methodically cleans the beautiful toilets around Tokyo, is helpful when the opportunity arises, takes care of himself and his dreams, reads, and dreams.

Other things happen, but the repetition of this life is the core of the film. It's an entirely unambitious character living a contented and happy life in a movie that is beautiful, peaceful, and calm.

And yet, this is not the kind of story we gravitate towards.

For many, it's not just what he's running towards that motivates his unrelenting drive; it's what he's running from.

Because we had this connection through food, and he had made me feel so rejected and lame and shitty and uncool, I made this plan where I was going to go work in all the best restaurants in the world.

Sometimes ambition can arise out of just a desire to make the world a better place, accomplish what we can, and live a full life.

If this is the root of our ambition and we understand and weigh the cost of pursuing that ambition, then I think it can serve us well. But where I think ambition can really become a trap is when it arises out of a desire to prove our worth because we feel unworthy and unlovable unless we earn it.

Or if our ambition is driven by a desire to escape from a current existence that might feel too emotionally or physically painful to bear.

In our modern world, where we're more alienated from traditional sources of meaning like religion and community, I think visible external success can become a way that people try to live a meaningful life.

In this way, ambition seems to offer us so much, but as our stories show, it can also come with a hefty price tag.

If we're going to pay that price, we want to be sure that it's actually going to pay off.

What about the people for whom the cost is not worth it, or the people who lead lives that society deems not successful, and then carry a sense of shame for not ever accomplishing more?

What if you reach the light at the end of the tunnel and then, instead of finding what you had hoped the success would provide, you find yourself emotionally right back where you started?

There are, of course, many successful people who are content with where they are, but I think the number of stories about the cost and price of ambition that are often made by successful artists within our society also speak to very real experiences.

I think there are many people who haven't yet achieved success who wonder if the path they're on towards what culture has defined as success is really going to be worth it.

But if you find yourself skeptical of ambition, you You might find yourself looking around and wondering if there's even another path to take.

What does the alternative even look like? The movie is titled 'Perfect Days.' which implies Hiyama is living a good life despite its simplicity and his lack of what is typically seen as success.

At one point, he encounters his estranged sister. She pulls up in an expensive car with a driver; she comes from a totally different world—the world of success.

Seeing where he lives, she asks out of a sense of concern and maybe even disdain if he's really cleaning toilets. Yet he seems to be largely happy, content with his simple life in a way that many people more successful than him struggle to be.

It's not just movies or television that are obsessed with ambition. Recently, I went on the App Store to download an app and was greeted with a page of ways I can optimize my downtime.

Even relaxation time is often perceived as valuable only because it recharges us for more important things, or is time we can use to practice skills for self-improvement.

And then on social media, you can be fed a constant stream of how to be better, how to be more fit, look more beautiful, make more money—the list goes on and on.

And even if the content isn't telling you what's wrong with you and how to be better, you're often seeing a constant stream of people who look and seem like they're living better lives.

The important critique here is not the validity of these individual pieces of content or any of these stories about ambition.

We can separate that individual experience of a single piece from the overwhelming total experience of all of this content together.

And when you look at it that way, you have to wonder what's missing from that image.

One day, Hiyama's niece shows up unexpectedly; she's run away from her mother, the successful mother who is part of a different world.

They go on a bike ride together, and stopping on a bridge, Nico asks if the river runs into the ocean here. Hiyama gently guides her attention away from the next best thing towards fully appreciating where they are right now, in the present moment.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to visit the ocean, but if our minds are always stuck where they could be, we miss out on being where we are.

I think this movie struck me so profoundly because in this small, gentle moment, it encapsulated one of the most difficult but important lessons I've had to learn.

Did you know when you were there that it was special? I don't know, I think I was always too busy to know.

All the time when we're present, we notice smaller, subtly beautiful details that can be really easy to overlook. Watching a movie like Perfect Days is itself a kind of practice in this.

It often finds beautiful compositions in the designs of the toilets or in Tokyo's tangle of buildings and streets.

It slows down and kind of asks you, as the viewer, to appreciate the beauty of the mundane world, as Hiyama does. I think a lot of people find this kind of thing boring, and it's not often I'm in a headspace to really fully enjoy and appreciate a movie like this, but that's kind of part of the point.

Hiyama finds contentment and satisfaction in a life that many of us would think is boring, but maybe the vilification of boredom is part of what keeps us trapped in an endless cycle of constantly trying.

to get to somewhere else, Renée Viia Anan nicely highlights the point that very often in our mindless pursuit of the light at the end of the tunnel, we fail to recognize the many little beams of light that have already passed by.

Being present in the moment like this is sometimes talked about as mindfulness, an idea which itself has been appropriated, commodified, and sold to us as a way to make ourselves more focused and to be more productive.

But according to Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, one of the leaders in research on the benefits that mindfulness can have for our health and well-being, you might think of mindfulness simply as the art of conscious living.

Sitting down to meditate is one way we can teach ourselves to be more mindful and present, but being able to sit and meditate is not itself the goal.

I have to remind myself to breathe sometimes.

I, um, I have to remind myself to, uh, to be present. You know, why is it so hard to be present? Partly because I think it doesn't magically make us feel better.

Jon Kabat-Zinn says mindfulness is not a cure-all solution. While it can help, being present doesn't eliminate pain, annoyance, awkwardness, or sorrow.

And Perfect Days shows Hiyama facing all of these things. Like Ki, he has a painful familial history, and his presence doesn't immediately heal all of those wounds.

But being present does allow you to detach your sense of value and joy from some hypothetical future and actually experience it now.

The difficulty of doing that is that in order to do that, you just also have to be present with any pain or discomfort that you're experiencing right now.

You good? Yeah, I'm going to crack it eventually. I didn't mean the plate.

I think ambition can be this trap because it can entice us with the idea of perfect freedom from our stress, pain, and sadness someday out there in the future.

Once we've done all the work and accomplished our goals, every pain we experience now is seen as just a reason to push harder to get there. It traps us.

It leads us to put all our energy into reaching a hypothetical future while we dissociate from the work that needs to be done right now in the present to truly heal and enjoy the things about the present.

There's another moment where Hirama's niece sees a girl being rude to him.

Nico looks at his face in sadness, perhaps expecting him to be hurt or offended. He seems to realize what she's thinking and smiles. It's as if he's saying that the lack of recognition from others is embarrassing for them, not for me.

Her concern turns into a smile, and we see that his peace is not so easily disturbed by an outside force that he doesn't control.

This woman's act of negativity, instead of spreading outward to Hirama and his niece, stops with him.

Instead of finding the imperfections in life as reasons to strive to be somewhere else or to be someone else, he finds them as opportunities for simplicity, humility, solitude, contentment, and slowing down to appreciate the elegant beauty that life hides in all its little corners and crevices.

I think there's this profound sense of loss that comes with feeling like our value as a person is attached to whether or not we can succeed within an unfair capitalist system that we don't control.

Some people respond to this system's unfairness by fighting even harder to achieve success within its confines.

Some people fight to dismantle it, and I think those are valid paths to pursue, but I think it's also deeply radical to do the work of finding your sense of success and self-worth independent of an external system entirely.

I don't think the philosophy presented in Perfect Days is trying to minimize the struggle of those who work incredibly hard just to survive what life has thrown at them.

I don't think it's saying that the solution to every problem is simple acceptance or that we shouldn't strive to make the world more just and fair, but I think it does suggest that acceptance and presence make life's inevitable struggles more tolerable.

And for some of us, it's worth asking ourselves if we are like Ki, feeling like we're stuck trying to survive when really we're just trying to get to the next rung on the ladder, or are desperately clinging to what we've already achieved.

I think it's also important to note that this doesn't mean living mindfully is passive resignation. Here, Yama firmly and calmly stands up for himself when he's overworked by his boss.

Mindfulness is not resigning yourself to a feeling of worthlessness; instead, it's a heartfelt affirmation of the worth of even the small moments in life.

Paradoxically, it's probably one of the harder paths to pursue while hustle culture and health trends challenge us to wake up earlier, work out more, be more productive, or invest more.

You might find that just sitting down for 20 minutes to be with yourself and do nothing is more difficult than any of those things.

And finally, I don't think being more present requires renouncing all your ambitions and dreams.

Suddenly thinking you'll go off and live a perfect monk-like life of asceticism and presence is just another kind of ambitious perfectionism.

In the series, a successful chef that Ki idolizes is one of the most present and grounded people in the entire show. So why do you do this?

I do for a living, no, but like, don't you have states that do this? I think time spent doing this is time well spent.

Well spent, that's what it's all about. Yeah, I think so. Being more mindful in the pursuit of your dreams might even help you accomplish them. And if it doesn't, it'll probably at least give you a more accurate view of your actual wants and desires.

I want to go to London more. I want to go to a party. I want to meet people. Live precisely. Cary believes it's his intense singular focus that drives his success.

But how does he know that's really true? Being present, we might notice that what we really want isn't another big accomplishment but some rest.

That maybe what we need is not a distraction from our emotions but an outlet for them. That maybe what we need is not external validation but to do the work of learning how to quiet the mean, self-critical voice inside our head.

You know, maybe if I could provide more, more amusement or enjoyment for myself, it would be easier to, uh, to provide for others.

You know, I think you probably could accomplish a lot more than you think you could if you had confidence in yourself.

Hollywood's Obsession with Ambition

Exploring the artistry behind the visual media landscape that surround us. 

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Thomas Flight

Hollywood's frequent depiction of ambition often highlights its high psychological and personal costs, leading to stress, alienation, and a difficulty in enjoying success.

True contentment and a meaningful life don't necessarily stem from external ambition or societal definitions of success, as demonstrated by 'Perfect Days' which portrays a character finding fulfillment in a simple, unambitious life.

Mindfulness, or 'conscious living,' allows individuals to detach their sense of value and joy from a hypothetical future and experience it in the present, even amidst pain and discomfort, offering an alternative to the endless pursuit of external achievements.

Many individuals pursue their dreams for years, making significant sacrifices, only to find that as they approach their goals, **ambition transforms from motivation into torment**. This struggle is exemplified by K in the FX show *The Bear*, where every success is quickly overshadowed by the next challenge, leading to chronic stress and alienation from loved ones.

K's relentless pursuit leaves him hoping that Michelin stars will finally bring satisfaction and peace, but it raises a universal question: **how often are we so lost in the pursuit of success that we fail to enjoy the journey itself**? This theme is explored in numerous films, highlighting the psychological costs of ambition, such as in *La La Land*, *Whiplash*, and *Black Swan*.

The cinematic landscape is rich with stories illustrating the high price of ambition, from *The Social Network* and *There Will Be Blood* to *The Godfather* and *Oppenheimer*. While *The Wolf of Wall Street* portrays a society that rewards ambition regardless of ethics, *Citizen Kane* demonstrates **the emptiness that can accompany success**. This prevalence of the ambition theme in film reflects a central conflict in many lives: the tension between desires and sacrifices.

Questioning Hollywood's Obsession with Ambition

Despite Hollywood's ongoing fascination with ambition, there's a growing question of what might be missing from this narrative. While many stories celebrate or warn against ambition, the underlying presumption is almost always that **the protagonist will be ambitious**. This raises the question: what would a story look like if it weren't defined by this relentless pursuit?

The Japanese word 'kabi' describes the beautiful, fleeting patterns of sunlight through trees, a phenomenon often appreciated by Hiyama, the protagonist in Wim Wenders' 2023 film *Perfect Days*. In stark contrast to ambition-driven narratives, *Perfect Days* presents **an entirely unambitious character leading a contented and happy life**, revolving around a peaceful daily routine.

Sometimes, ambition stems from a noble desire to improve the world or live a full life. However, ambition can become a significant trap when it arises from a need to **prove one's worth due to feelings of unworthiness**, or as an escape from a painful existence. In modern society, external success often becomes a substitute for traditional sources of meaning.

While ambition promises much, it often comes with a hefty price, and many wonder if the cost is truly worth it. The stories of successful artists themselves highlight **the real experiences of struggling with the price of ambition**. Many people question if the culturally defined path to success is genuinely fulfilling.

The film *Perfect Days* offers an alternative path, portraying Hiyama's good life despite its simplicity and lack of conventional success. His estranged sister, living a life of apparent success, questions his contentment, yet he remains happy, highlighting **the stark contrast between external achievements and internal peace**.

The obsession with ambition extends beyond film into modern life, with apps and social media constantly pushing optimization and self-improvement. Even relaxation is often framed as a means to greater productivity. This constant stream of messages, while individually valid, collectively creates a narrative where **life outside of constant striving can feel insignificant**.

The Power of Presence and Unambitious Living

A poignant moment in *Perfect Days* shows Hiyama gently guiding his niece to appreciate the present moment, rather than fixating on what's next. This emphasizes that **if our minds are always focused on future possibilities, we miss the beauty of where we are now**.

*Perfect Days* itself serves as a practice in mindfulness, encouraging viewers to appreciate the beauty in the mundane. Hiyama finds contentment in a life many would deem boring, suggesting that **the vilification of boredom may be a factor trapping us in an endless cycle of seeking something else**.

Mindfulness, described as the art of conscious living, doesn't magically eliminate pain or discomfort. As demonstrated by Hiyama, **being present allows one to detach a sense of value and joy from a hypothetical future and experience it now**, even if it means acknowledging current pain.

Ambition can be a trap, enticing us with the promise of future freedom from pain and stress. This often leads us to **dissociate from the present work needed for healing and enjoyment**, instead pouring all energy into a hypothetical future.

Hiyama exemplifies a profound peace not easily disturbed by external forces. He transforms life's imperfections into opportunities for **simplicity, humility, solitude, and contentment**, appreciating the hidden beauty in every corner of life.

Redefining Success Beyond External Systems

There's a deep sense of loss when personal value becomes tied to success within an unfair capitalist system. While some fight to succeed within or dismantle the system, it's also **deeply radical to find self-worth independent of external systems entirely**.

The philosophy of *Perfect Days* doesn't minimize life's struggles but suggests that **acceptance and presence make inevitable hardships more tolerable**. It prompts reflection on whether we're truly surviving or just climbing a ladder, or desperately clinging to past achievements.

Mindful living is not passive resignation; Hiyama demonstrates this by calmly asserting himself when overworked. Instead, **mindfulness is a heartfelt affirmation of the worth of even the small moments in life**, offering a challenging alternative to hustle culture's relentless pursuit of productivity.

Ultimately, being more present doesn't require renouncing all ambitions. A successful chef in *The Bear* is portrayed as one of the most present characters, suggesting that **mindfulness can even aid in achieving dreams, or at least provide a more accurate view of true desires**.

Being present might reveal that true needs aren't another accomplishment, but rest, an outlet for emotions, or learning to quiet self-critical voices. *Perfect Days* reminds us that **true worth and the ability to live a meaningful, contented life don't have to depend on external accomplishments**.

Quiet contentment offers a valuable alternative perspective, demonstrating that life's hardships can be met with grace and equanimity. This contrasts with traditional film structures, where **unambitious characters often appear in non-traditional narratives or specific genres**.

Good media literacy involves recognizing the cumulative effect of narratives and their blind spots. Because exceptional individuals dominate media, **we risk feeling that our ordinary, day-to-day lives are insignificant**, yet it's often in these un-cinematic moments that we find the most meaning.

How does the video contrast the common Hollywood portrayal of ambition with the philosophy presented in the film 'Perfect Days'?

What are some of the potential pitfalls and psychological costs of ambition as described in the video, citing examples from popular films?

According to the video, what are the different roots or motivations behind ambition, and when does ambition tend to become a 'trap'?

Can you explain the concept of 'kabi' as introduced in the video, and how it relates to the theme of presence and appreciation in 'Perfect Days'?

What alternative path to a fulfilling life does the video suggest for those who are skeptical of ambition, and how does it relate to mindfulness and self-worth?

Hollywood's Obsession with Ambition

Hollywood's Obsession with Ambition

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