tw-rl

This video is a masterclass in psychology. The first person to do something always looks weird. People laugh. Then somebody else joins. Then the crowds come in and the person who started the whole thing goes from looking like a goon to looking like a genius.

Humans are imitation machines. You can see the roots of our imitative instincts in the history of English. In the time of Shakespeare, the word "ape" had two meanings: "primate" and "to imitate." Here's the original video: https://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement?language=en#t-109807 (h/t @sivers)

True innovation is only fun in retrospect. "As more people join in, it's less risky. So those that were sitting on the fence before now have no reason not to. They won't stand out, they won't be ridiculed, but they will be part of the in-crowd if they hurry." — @sivers

As @visakanv says, there's another important lesson from this video: "The first follower is just as important as the leader." The more influential that leader, the faster narratives can change. Look at how fast Kanye West stands up and moves the crowd.

𝗬𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗘 𝗚𝗛𝗢𝗦𝗧𝗦 @YESEEGHOSTSKanye forcing a dead crowd to stand up during Rihanna’s performance twitter.com

The more we embrace our imitative instincts, the faster we can learn too. "Man is an imitative animal. This quality is the germ of all education in him. From his cradle to his grave he is learning to do what he sees others do." — Thomas Jefferson

David Perell @david_perellIronically, the more we imitate others, the more we discover how we’re different. Conan O'Brien said it best: “It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique.” Here's the full video: twitter.com