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

Summary

Jesse Eisenberg reflects on his motivations for success, highlighting the role of anxiety and fear alongside traditional drivers like effort and creativity. He discusses the misconceptions about actors, his approach to avoiding self-doubt and criticism, and his experiences with directing, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and allowing others to excel in their roles. Eisenberg shares insights on leadership, humility, and the value of not micromanaging talent, as exemplified by his work with actors like Kieran Culkin and Julianne Moore.

Takeaways

• 🎭 Jesse Eisenberg's motivation stems from a mix of positive factors like effort, talent, and creativity, as well as negative motivators such as anxiety and fear.
• 🚫 He admits to self-hating tendencies and uses these negative feelings as a driving force to excel in his work.
• 📈 Despite his success, Eisenberg constantly worries about his career and the longevity of his professional life.
• 🤝 He finds that people from various fields share similar fears and anxieties, which are often the driving forces behind their achievements.
• 🔄 Reframing anxiety as fuel for motivation helps to worry less and be more driven in one's endeavors.
• 🎬 Eisenberg is an actor, writer, and director, and he recently worked on a movie called 'A Real Pain'.
• 🎥 The actor dispels the myth that all actors are confident and self-assured, sharing his personal experiences with self-doubt and criticism.
• 🚫 Eisenberg avoids exposure to his own work and reviews to prevent self-consciousness and maintain focus on his craft.
• 🎬 As a director, he realizes he's not a traditional leader and instead focuses on understanding and bringing out the best in his team.
• 🤹 His directing style involves collaboration and allowing actors like Kieran Culkin to improvise and fully embody their characters.
• 🌟 Working with highly talented individuals like Julianne Moore teaches Eisenberg the value of humility, collaboration, and the importance of focusing on the creative process rather than one's insecurities.

Q & A

What are the motivating factors Jesse Eisenberg mentions for himself?

Jesse Eisenberg mentions that his motivating factors include effort, talent, creativity, anxiety, and fear.

How does Jesse describe his experience with self-doubt and criticism?

Jesse describes his experience with self-doubt and criticism as being driven by negative motivators such as misery, self-consciousness, self-hatred, and a lot of fear. He also shares that he often worries about his last job being his final one.

What misconception does Jesse address about actors?

Jesse addresses the misconception that actors are always confident because they are in the public eye and have successful careers. He explains that actors, like anyone else, can be full of self-doubt and are concerned about how their work will be received.

How does Jesse cope with being a public figure?

Jesse copes with being a public figure by creating a bubble around himself that allows him to work at his best. He avoids watching movies he's been in, reading reviews, and doesn't bike past streets with movie advertisements to prevent self-consciousness.

What challenges did Jesse face when transitioning to directing?

Jesse faced challenges in transitioning to directing as he realized he was not a great leader in the traditional sense. He had to learn to manage people and find his own style of leadership, which involved understanding and getting the best from his team rather than trying to lead them in a more authoritative way.

How does Jesse approach collaborating with others in his work?

Jesse approaches collaboration with humility and a willingness to learn from others. He values the ideas and expertise of his collaborators and aims to provide a space for them to excel, rather than trying to be always right or to control every aspect of the work.

What did Jesse learn about directing from working with Kieran Culkin?

Jesse learned that it's more effective to allow actors to fully live in their roles and improvise rather than trying to micromanage their performances. He found that this approach made the movie better and the set a more enriching and fun environment.

How did Jesse overcome his intimidation when directing Julianne Moore?

Jesse overcame his intimidation by realizing that Julianne Moore, like any other actor, would appreciate feedback and ideas on the character and the scene. He focused on contributing positively to the creative process rather than dwelling on his own perceived inadequacies.

What advice does Jesse give to those who might feel they are not natural leaders?

Jesse advises those who feel they are not natural leaders to think about the wonderful leaders they've worked for and consider that the best leaders may not be the loudest or most confident in the room. He suggests focusing on collaboration, learning from others, and providing a space for others to excel.

How does Jesse handle the anxiety and fear that drive him?

Jesse handles his anxiety and fear by reframing them as fuel, motivation, and care. He believes that when he can do this, he worries less and is more motivated to do his best work.

What is Jesse's approach to receiving feedback as an actor?

Jesse appreciates when directors pay close attention to what he's doing and provide feedback. He values notes and discussions about his performance, even when they involve disagreements, as he sees this as a healthy and important part of the acting process.

Outlines

00:00

🎭 Embracing Anxiety as Motivation

Jesse Eisenberg discusses the role of anxiety and fear as driving forces in his career. He acknowledges that while talent and creativity are important, negative motivators like self-doubt and the fear of failure often push him forward. He shares his constant worry that his last job might be his final one, but also notes that this fear is common among successful people across various fields. Eisenberg emphasizes the importance of reframing anxiety into motivation and care, which helps him worry less and be more motivated. He also talks about his experiences as an actor, writer, and director, and dispels the myth that actors are always confident, revealing his own struggles with self-doubt and public perception.

05:02

🌟 The Power of Humility in Leadership

In this paragraph, Jesse Eisenberg reflects on his journey as a director and the lessons he has learned about leadership. He admits that he is not a traditional leader who can rally a group into action but excels in understanding and getting the best out of his team. He shares his experiences working with actors like Kieran Culkin and Julianne Moore, highlighting the importance of allowing them to fully express their talents without micromanagement. Eisenberg emphasizes the value of humility, the willingness to learn from others, and the ability to create a collaborative environment where everyone can excel. He concludes by advising others to focus on their strengths and ideas rather than being intimidated by the success or experience of their colleagues.

Keywords

💡Motivation

In the context of the video, motivation refers to the driving forces that propel individuals to take action or achieve goals. It is characterized by both positive aspects, such as effort, talent, and creativity, and negative aspects like anxiety and fear. The speaker, Jesse Eisenberg, highlights the paradox of being driven by negative emotions, which is a common experience for many high-achievers.

💡Anxiety

Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome. In the video, it is portrayed as a significant motivator, particularly in high-pressure fields like acting and directing. The speaker acknowledges the pervasiveness of anxiety among successful individuals, suggesting that it can be transformed into a productive force.

💡Fear

Fear is an emotional response to a perceived threat or danger. In the video, fear is cited as a negative motivator that influences the speaker's actions and decisions. It is linked to the fear of failure and the pressure to maintain success, which can be a powerful, albeit unsettling, driving force.

💡Self-Doubt

Self-doubt is the feeling of uncertainty or lack of confidence in one's own abilities, decisions, or worth. In the video, self-doubt is depicted as a personal struggle for the speaker, influencing his approach to his work and public persona. It is a common trait among many successful individuals who set high standards for themselves.

💡Public Persona

A public persona refers to the image or character that an individual presents to society or the public. In the video, the speaker grapples with the challenges of being a public figure, particularly in dealing with unexpected criticism and the pressure of maintaining a consistent public image.

💡Collaboration

Collaboration is the act of working together with others to achieve a common goal. In the context of the video, collaboration is highlighted as a crucial aspect of the creative process, both in acting and directing. The speaker emphasizes the importance of being open to others' ideas and creating an environment where everyone can excel.

💡Leadership

Leadership refers to the ability to guide, inspire, and influence a group of people towards achieving a goal. In the video, the speaker reflects on his own leadership style, which is more about understanding and supporting others rather than traditional, authoritative leadership. He suggests that the best leaders are those who are humble, observant, and collaborative.

💡Creativity

Creativity is the use of imagination or original ideas to produce something new and valuable. In the video, creativity is a central theme, as the speaker discusses the need for creative freedom and the ability to think outside the box in both acting and directing.

💡Humility

Humility is the quality of being modest and not overly proud or self-assured. In the context of the video, humility is portrayed as a valuable trait in leadership and collaboration. The speaker emphasizes the importance of recognizing one's own limitations and being open to learning from others.

💡Intimidation

Intimidation is the act of instilling fear or apprehension in someone, often due to perceived power or superiority. In the video, the speaker discusses feeling intimidated when working with highly accomplished actors like Julianne Moore, but learns that mutual respect and a focus on the creative process can overcome feelings of intimidation.

💡Improvisation

Improvisation is the ability to create or adapt something spontaneously without prior planning. In the context of the video, improvisation is a key element in the acting process, allowing actors to bring unexpected and nuanced performances to their roles. The speaker values the improvisational skills of his actors, seeing it as a source of creativity and authenticity.

Highlights

Jesse Eisenberg discusses how anxiety and fear often drive him, despite his success in acting, writing, and directing.

He shares his self-critical nature and how he copes with the fear that his last job might be his final one.

Eisenberg reflects on the commonality of these fears among people who forge their own paths in various fields.

He talks about reframing anxiety as fuel, motivation, and care, which helps him worry less and be more motivated.

Eisenberg dispels the myth that actors are always confident, sharing his own experiences with self-doubt and public criticism.

He explains his approach to avoiding self-consciousness by not watching his own movies or reading reviews.

Eisenberg describes his method of creating a 'bubble' to work at his best, avoiding things that make him anxious.

He shares his recent experiences in directing and the challenges of transitioning from acting to managing a team.

Eisenberg admits he is not a traditional leader and discusses his approach to getting the best from his team by understanding their roles.

He emphasizes the importance of collaboration and deferring to others' expertise in the creative process.

Eisenberg talks about learning from others and how it has been a great asset in his career.

He explains how reacting to others and collaborating is essential in acting and directing.

Eisenberg shares insights from directing Kieran Culkin and allowing him to fully live in his role.

He discusses the importance of not micromanaging actors' performances and letting them bring their unique talents to the role.

Eisenberg talks about collaborating with Julianne Moore and overcoming his intimidation to provide feedback.

He reflects on the realization that being intimidated is not a sustainable position in a collaborative environment.

Eisenberg concludes with the importance of focusing on ideas and contributions rather than insecurities.

Transcripts

- When I think about like the kind of motivating factors

for me, you know, it's effort and you know, talent

and creativity and all that stuff.

But I cannot underestimate how often I'm just driven

by anxiety and fear.

(audience laughing)

- You and I are both very self-hating.

- A lot of the things that motivate me are like kind

of negative motivators, misery,

(cameras snapping)

self-consciousness, I would say self-hatred,

and a lot of fear.

(audience cheering) (lively music)

I worry all the time that my last job is going

to be the final one I'll ever have in my life.

But you know, when I meet people in other fields

who have kind of forged their own paths,

they have the exact same story.

(paparazzi talking indistinctly)

And it just occurred to me that this is kind

of what like great people are motivated by.

(lively music)

They're amazing at their job, they're creative,

they think outside the box, but they're also worried

that the next time is not going to go well.

Once you're able to kind of reframe that anxiety as fuel,

as motivation, as care, you worry less

and are motivated more.

(dramatic music)

Hi, my name is Jesse Eisenberg.

I'm known as an actor.

I also write and direct

and I forgot the other thing that I was supposed to say

because I was...

Sorry. (beep)

Hi, I'm Jesse Eisenberg.

I'm an actor, writer, and director.

And the most recent thing I did was those three things

on a movie called "A Real Pain."

(dramatic music)

Probably it's important to dispel the myth

that actors are full of themselves

and you know, they're in a movie

so they must be so confident all the time.

As an actor, I've had to cope with like kind

of being a public person and all that entails

because strangely, I often do kind

of receive criticism in places

that I never expected to receive it.

Sometimes people say to me on the street,

"Hey, man, I thought you were okay in that movie."

And they say it as like almost an apology

and it makes you feel even worse.

You know, you care like anybody else who works on anything,

how the thing is going to be received.

And sometimes for an actor it's heightened that much more

because it's being written about everywhere.

(playful music)

If you're somebody with the inclinations

that I have towards self-doubt, towards self-criticism,

what I have created was essentially kind of a bubble

that allows me to work at my best.

It sounds strange,

but I don't watch the movies I've been in.

I don't read any reviews of movies that I'm in.

I go so far as to not bike past streets that are overflowing

with movie advertisements

'cause it makes me self-conscious on my way to work.

(playful music)

And I know it sounds a little bit like I'm making my life

unusually difficult and I should just confront those things,

I should just hold the tarantula in my hands, so to speak,

bike past those movie posters.

But the truth is I found I am most effective

by not thinking about that stuff, by not becoming obsessed

with something that I can't control.

Maybe it comes from a place of fear or weakness,

but to me it's the only way I can kind of self-motivate.

(playful music)

(pensive music)

I've recently started directing.

I've directed two movies now.

Being in this kind of new strange place

of like being a manager of people so to speak

has not been the easiest transition for me.

I realized pretty quickly I am not a great leader

in the traditional sense of being able to kind

of lead a group into battle.

My advantage was not so much in talking loudly

about the thing we need to get

and screaming at people that the sun's going down,

but I am very good at knowing what everybody does

and how to kind of get the best from them.

So if you're somebody who feels like me,

somebody who feels like they would not be able

to lead an army into battle, try to think of all

of the wonderful leaders that you've worked for.

The best leaders I worked for were really kind

of like the quiet, sweet directors who motivated in subtle,

sweet, quiet, relatable ways.

The leaders that you like working for

are probably not the kind of bombastic, confident person

who's the loudest in a room.

I imagine what you might discover is that the leaders

that you really liked working for

are probably a lot like you.

How did they do it? How did they excel?

I've only directed two movies

and I've interviewed people for various jobs,

for production design, for editing, for music composition,

for costumes, for cinematography

who have done 40 movies in their position.

And I've done one or two.

Most people I'm working with know 1,000 times more

about their jobs than I do.

And so it's important to kind of defer to them

and to kind of be humble, be open to learning,

and also be able to kind of provide a space

for other people to excel.

I am a person who very much wants to collaborate

with somebody who has as good or better ideas than I do.

I am not somebody who wants to be right,

and that has motivated me to find people

who are very collaborative.

That kind of humility, that kind of eagerness

to learn from others and the eagerness to defer

to others has just been a great asset for me.

You learn very quickly in acting class

that acting, like almost every other collaboration,

requires reacting to the other person,

to the collaborator's intention

and performing in conjunction with it.

The movie I just finished directing,

the two leading characters are played by me

and the wonderful actor Kieran Culkin, who's on "Succession"

and is an absolute genius performer in ways

that I don't even know audiences are fully aware of

because I got to see him improvise

in these incredibly complicated character moments.

And yet it was very often not the thing that I had written

and not the thing that I had expected to perform against.

So theoretically, I should have all the authority

in the world to tell him exactly

how I want it to be performed.

And I discovered I think on the second day

that that was not going to be effective.

That when I kind of try to micromanage his wonderful,

lived in, loose performance, it was not helping him.

When you're acting in a scene, you're supposed

to stand on like a little mark

so that it makes the lighting look good on your face

and it makes the camera framing

for all the other actors appropriate.

He wouldn't stand on marks.

And when I asked him to stand on a mark a few times

that we did, it would stifle him.

He would work so much better when it was loose

and when he was loose, he was so brilliant.

When I was thinking about like kind of the priorities

of the movie, the first priority of this movie

is that this character is loose, alive, and complicated.

That is so much more important than having the actor

in the exact place.

Sorry, how can I then link this back

to something bigger and better?

(bell dinging)

What I've discovered is that you really should not try

to engineer the other person's work.

You should help them achieve the thing that they do best.

And so as a director, I was just enthralled by allowing him

to fully live in this role, to be loose, to improvise,

to say what was on his mind.

And it made the movie so much better

and it made this set just this kind

of wonderfully enriching, fun place.

(lively music)

Sometimes it might be intimidating

to think about collaborating with somebody

who might be more successful,

more experienced in their field.

The first movie I directed starred

one of the greatest film actresses

of all time, Julianne Moore.

And I had never directed a movie before,

but I had acted in so many movies

and I know what I wanted from a director.

What I love to have as an actor, from my leader,

from my boss, from the director, is I love them

to really pay attention to what I'm doing

and give feedback on that.

And when I was directing again this unbearably talented,

shockingly astonishingly talented woman, Julianne Moore,

I was so intimidated to do exactly

what I always want directors to do.

I think the reason I was probably a little intimidated

was because I thought she would see me

for the fraud that I must be.

And so for the first week,

I kind of like stayed away from her.

I didn't know if she wanted me to give feedback

or to ask her to try something in a different way.

And finally, when I just like splashed proverbial cold water

in my face, I realized, no,

that's exactly what, of course, she wants.

That's what I would want. That's what anybody would want.

And so I started giving her some notes

and we had the most fun.

She argued back with me, of course,

sometimes when she disagreed, which is totally healthy

and wonderful, an important part of the process.

And so what I discovered is being in a kind of position

of intimidation with a colleague is not a sustainable place.

I think Julianne Moore is more talented than me.

I think she's a better actor than I'll ever be.

I think she's smarter about stories than me,

but those thoughts were not very helpful.

The helpful thoughts were, oh, I have a really funny idea

for this scene and this character that she's playing,

and I'm going to tell her what those are now.

And that's like so much more, you know, effective

and such a more fun partnership to have with somebody.

Sorry, is that okay? Or did I say okay?

Yeah?

(lively music)