Video summary
Joe Santagato critiques the modern trend of adopting a nonchalant demeanor, particularly among internet users who prioritize irony over legitimate standing for causes or passions. He argues that this attitude often stems from deep-seated insecurity rather than genuine confidence; individuals feign indifference to mask their efforts because they fear appearing too enthusiastic or "keen," a concept he associates with the British phenomenon of tall poppy syndrome where those who try hard are mocked as being overly excitable or Americanized. Santagato contrasts this passive-aggressive approach with his own philosophy, which embraces visible effort and even failure. He believes that hitting the ground hard provides clarity and validation, allowing one to make a final decision about whether an endeavor is worth pursuing based on tangible results rather than maintaining a facade of ease. Central to Santagato's argument is the idea that true satisfaction comes from earning success through struggle, not easy wins which he deems forgettable. He cites Mark Manson's assertion that hard work transforms individuals because they have "bled for it" and broken themselves down in the process, making the eventual victory meaningful. For Santagato, the reward of achieving a goal is internal; knowing at night that one put their absolute best effort into an idea from conception to completion provides an amazing feeling that external validation cannot replicate. This perspective stands in opposition to those who act as if they are not trying when they actually are passionate about something, viewing such pretense as a manifestation of insecurity rather than coolness or sophistication. The discussion extends to the implications of artificial intelligence and reliance on tools for creative pursuits like writing or job tasks. Santagato warns that depending too heavily on assistance robs individuals of the very sensation they seek: the feeling of having worked hard to achieve something good. He emphasizes that skill improvement happens one rep at a time, suggesting that bypassing the struggle prevents genuine growth and mastery. This sentiment is reinforced by his personal journey with health routines; he notes that making habits easy leads to inconsistency, whereas challenging oneself fosters durability. Using golf as an analogy, he advocates for simplicity without dilution—keeping it simple but not mixing in too many variables or shortcuts—which aligns with his endorsement of AG1 Next Gen supplements designed to fill nutrient gaps and improve gut health through consistent daily use rather than a chaotic array of pills. Santagato illustrates the power of persistence by referencing a video analysis where someone claimed he would never become a successful podcaster, noting that such predictions were made over 100 episodes ago in his old Newcastle office back in 2018. Having produced thousands of episodes since then, he uses this timeline to demonstrate how consistency and resilience overcome early doubts. He also touches on the evolution of content creation, joking about creating a video where someone misquotes him intentionally while analyzing past footage from their first shows. Ultimately, his message is one of embracing difficulty: whether in fitness, creativity, or career, the struggle itself is the mechanism that builds character and ensures that any success achieved carries weight and significance.
Read the full video transcript
What do you think about the sort of
current trend of people trying to be
nonchalant?
>> That was such a British pronunciation.
Nonchalant. I like that better, to be
honest.
Um
>> Nonchalant.
Uh
in what way do you mean?
>> Well, you're talking about I want people
to see me trying really hard.
>> Yeah.
>> Trying hard Trying hard's kind of lame.
To a certain category of people,
especially people on the internet, which
is why you exist.
>> like thinks it's lame, yeah.
>> So, there's
there's a world at the moment that only
ever talks in irony.
Like they only ever make ironic
sentences ironic statements. Nobody
stands for something legitimately. They
only ever stand against things or kind
of mocks of or suggest It's kind of like
the passive-aggressive pushing of your
own things. Well, you know, like this
thing's like, all right, I guess.
>> All right.
>> As opposed to I am giving this my
absolute [ __ ] everything. In the UK,
for instance, we have tall poppy
syndrome. People that try really hard
are called keenos. Too keen. You're too
keen for this thing. You're too
excitable. You'd get called, "Fucking
very American of you, that, dude." Like
that Really. Like it's Enthusiasm's
looked down on to a degree, especially
if you come from a working-class
background, which is
as scum class as I can be. Like
you are
kind of
encouraged to not get too big for your
boots. I must have heard that thousands
of times. Don't get too big for your
boots.
>> Yeah.
>> Don't have dreams that are too big.
>> The thing
with me is like I I I realize that, but
if you're people who are acting
nonchalant about especially about things
that they are actually passionate about,
it's just insecurity like manifesting in
that way, where it's like, I need to
appear like I'm not really trying, but I
am trying or whatever. Like I I'm not
insecure about
those things. So, I'm like, don't worry,
I got them.
>> [laughter]
>> But I'm not insecure about those things,
so I'm willing to try really hard at
them and fail and fall on my face or
whatever. And it kind of excites me,
too, that there's a lot of people that
aren't willing to do that cuz it's like
it then it feels like I have a leg up on
them because I'm I'm willing to hit the
ground super hard because when I hit the
ground, like then I know like that
happened. You slammed the door in my
face cuz so I know like okay, I got
these to choose from now. Like at least
I have a decision. Like you made a final
decision. Like it that failed, then I
can move on. I'm not nonchalant about it
because
I'm not even doing it for the
perception. I'm doing it for me. And
when I say that I want to earn it, it's
not necessarily for outside validation.
Like I want to know when I go to sleep
at night like you worked hard and you
got that thing. That feels really good.
Like that's an amazing feeling to know
that I put my all into this thing. It
started as an idea. I said it out loud.
I worked hard to do it and then it
happened. That's an amazing feeling.
>> There's a quote from Mark Manson. He
says, "Do hard [ __ ] not because it's
fun, but because the win actually means
something. You bled for it. You broke
for it. You earned it. Easy wins are
forgettable. Hard ones change you.
That's the point."
>> Exactly.
What is better than that? There is
nothing better than that.
>> This is one of the things I
I think about the world of AI and how
many people are maybe relying on
assistance for their job or for their
writing or their creative pursuits. And
what it's doing is it's actually robbing
you of the thing that you came here to
get.
>> Yes.
>> The thing that you came here to get is
the sensation of I work I did hard [ __ ]
>> And I got good I got good at it, too.
>> good one rep at a time.
>> And yeah, like that's the that to me is
like the biggest payoff. When I could
watch something
like an old video or I can watch like
something from our first shows or just
know whatever I'm just like I'm better
than that now, which is good.
>> Has anyone ever put together one of
those
the timeline of
Josh Santiago [ __ ] like videos of so
I'm going to make it worse each time.
Piece of [ __ ] Uh
>> I'm going to try this [ __ ]
>> Yeah, you can't you [ __ ] talk the
neutronic.
>> [laughter]
>> Like purposely misquoting everything.
Um And someone did it Someone did a
video
>> interrupt by the way, sorry.
>> Thank you. Good. Get it in you. Um
>> [laughter]
>> Someone did a video
uh a little while like last week or
something. It's really [ __ ] good. And
um I watched it and they went back and
analyzed the first episodes I'd ever
done on the podcast.
>> Mhm.
>> And there's this this line and they were
like you might not think that this guy
would go on to become anything in
regards to a successful podcaster. I was
like
It's true, but it was a thousand 100
episodes ago in 2018 in the northeast of
the UK in my old office in Newcastle.
I've learned from over a thousand
podcast episodes that the easier you
make your health routine, the more
consistent you'll be.
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