How to Cultivate Obsessive Interest (and Why it Matters)
Paul Graham’s Bus Ticket Theory of Genius had a big impact on the way I think about success.
He posits that “genius” (which feels like a pretty remote ambition, so I substitute in “success”) comes from a mixture of hard work, innate talent, and obsessive interest.
The obsessive interest piece is critical because it fuels hard work. It pushes the obsessed individual into new territories that allow them to discover novel ideas.
Obsessive interest has a lot of appeal as a motivation source.
For starters, it comes from inside yourself instead of from the outside world. So it may offer a stronger pull than things like money or prestige. Intense curiosity, in theory, would also be unending. You can delve so deep on a topic that as long as you remain curious, the potential to keep discovering new things is limitless. Lastly, on the surface, obsessive interest sounds like an enjoyable experience. It may make the sustained effort required to get better at a skill slightly more tolerable, or maybe even pleasant.
So how do you cultivate “Obsessive Interest”?
Here were some tips that came up in my research I’m going to practice over the next few weeks:
1. Look for a tribe to follow (or join)
There are groups of people interested in everything under the sun.
It helps spur your own curiosity if you find a tribe of people who are already talking about the topic. This includes experts, but can also be a group of novices as well. Novices are great because a) they’re more likely to have time to speak to you directly and b) you can swap learning experiences with them.
Learning from other people’s experiences can be a shortcut to avoid their mistakes. You can also teach someone else about yours and reinforce your learnings.
If you participate in a group who all care about the same thing, you’ll get excited to share and grow and develop together. The social component will fuel your curiosity.
2. Have a goal in mind
Curiosity and obsession are fuelled by a target.
Pick a goal to aim toward that will help focus your efforts. For example, perhaps you want to read 10 books on the subject of your interest. Perhaps you want to share what you’re learning online in a blog or website. Maybe you want to find a way to make money — even a small amount, like $10 — off of your hobby.
Pick something and let it anchor you.
3. Always be Asking
I’ll use my own interest as an example here: I want to become a better writer.
To get better, it helps to ask questions. For writing, that might mean:
- Why did this article work well? What did I or others like or dislike about it?
- How was it structured? Did the structure work well?
- How does this idea apply to different contexts? Do I see any flaws in the argument?
- How dis other people become successful at this pursuit? How did they make money?
And so on.
Write them down and think about how to get data and find the answers.
For what it’s worth, posing these questions now is making me curious about the answers!
4. Find the deeper meaning in your interest
I like writing because I love the idea of connecting with others from all over the world. Of sharing ideas and letting other people learn from my experiences — it makes me feel like my mistakes weren’t for nothing.
The deeper goal of becoming a good writer feels meaningful for me because it’s about connection.
Deep meanings fuel you more than superficial rewards.
Find the deep meaning underneath your interest. Einstein loved the idea of invisible forces that govern the entire universe. Darwin’s discoveries started with a deep love and connection to animals. Sports enthusiasts love how the love of a team brings communities together, especially during hard times.
Deeper meanings are about something intangible and usually about the greater good. That’s the kind of fire that keeps burning when things get tough.
A quest to become obsessed
As an adult, developing curiosity for a new interest seems challenging.
But I’m keen to cultivate more of the “obsessive interest” Paul Graham describes. I’m going to put these tactics into practice for the next few weeks and months and see how well they work.
Wish me luck!
