Master your anxiety. Unleash your genius | Jesse Eisenberg for Big Think+

Big Think2 minutes read

Jesse Eisenberg uses anxiety and self-doubt as motivation, alongside positive factors like effort and creativity, leading to less worry and increased drive in his work as an actor, writer, and director. He values collaboration and learning from others, prioritizing authenticity over technical details in performances to enhance the overall quality of his work.

Insights

  • Negative motivators like anxiety and self-doubt can be harnessed as fuel for motivation, leading to increased drive and productivity, as seen in Jesse Eisenberg's approach to his work.
  • Prioritizing collaboration, humility, and creating a conducive environment for team members to excel are key factors in successful directing, as demonstrated by Eisenberg's emphasis on understanding his team's strengths and allowing actors like Kieran Culkin to improvise for authentic performances.

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Recent questions

  • How does Jesse Eisenberg view anxiety?

    As fuel for motivation, leading to increased drive.

  • What approach does Jesse Eisenberg take towards criticism?

    Creates a bubble to work effectively by avoiding reviews.

  • How does Jesse Eisenberg find success in directing?

    By understanding his team's strengths and providing a space for them to excel.

  • What values does Jesse Eisenberg prioritize in his work?

    Collaboration, humility, and learning from others.

  • How does Jesse Eisenberg approach directing actors?

    By allowing them to improvise and prioritize authenticity over technical details.

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Summary

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Embracing anxiety as motivation for success

  • Jesse Eisenberg is motivated by anxiety, fear, self-consciousness, and self-hatred, alongside positive factors like effort and creativity.
  • He realizes that many successful individuals share similar negative motivators and worries about their future success.
  • Eisenberg reframes anxiety as fuel for motivation, leading to less worry and increased drive.
  • As an actor, writer, and director, he faces criticism and self-doubt, creating a bubble to work effectively by avoiding reviews and movie advertisements.
  • Eisenberg finds success in directing by focusing on understanding his team's strengths and providing a space for them to excel.
  • He values collaboration, humility, and learning from others, preferring to defer to those with more experience.
  • Eisenberg learns as a director that allowing actors like Kieran Culkin to improvise and be themselves enhances the performance more than micromanaging, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing the character's authenticity over technical details.
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