The Fountainhead and the Instagram Spiral
I was about to start chasing likes again, but a book from 1943 told me to stop—and reminded me to create what I want to see.
Almost Sold My Soul to the Algorithm Again!
That was close. I almost fell into the trap of Instagram likes and algorithm again. Recently I started to think, “I want more engagement… I have to do something!” I was getting nervous. But then, the book I’ve been reading since April, The Fountainhead, felt like it grabbed my shoulders and told me, “That’s not the way you should be looking.”
What is real selfishness?
Do you know the real meaning of "selfish"? This book told me that real selfishness means to have a fulfilled self. It doesn’t mean taking from others or controlling them. It also doesn’t mean interfering with others. So, you don’t care what others think about you. That is the real self-centered way. But this meaning got twisted. The book helped to fix that twisted idea.
Meet Howard Roark
Howard Roark is the main character. He is a very talented and passionate architect, but he is also very unconventional. Because of that, people around him—critics, other architects, the media, and the public—think he is selfish. He gets attacked, put in court, and loses his reputation. But he is never hurt. He only thinks about self-fulfillment. Even when he has debt and no clients, he quietly goes back to his work. He knows that nobody can truly hurt him. That was very refreshing to read.
Reading it now makes sense
The book was written in 1943, but now in the time of social media, its message is even more powerful. These days, we try to match other people’s preferences and chase approval. But Roark reminds us that it’s important to focus on what you want to see and create. His belief to build only what he wants was very inspiring to me.
Words That Connect
This way of thinking connects to Austin Kleon’s idea of “Write the book you want to read,” and also to the story that Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, always uses the question “Is my 15-year-old self enjoying this?” as his standard when making the series. The feeling of making something not for others, but for yourself. In this world where it’s easy to be influenced by others, I felt again that it’s important to ask myself—what do I want to see?—in a selfish way while creating.