David Foster Wallace on Ambition | Blank on Blank

[@roxanne4820]

"Perfectionism is dangerous because if your fidelity to perfectionism is too high, you never do anything. You sacrifice how gorgeous and perfect it is in your head for what it really is" I felt this on such a deep spiritual level.

[@trevorw109]

Lol he put it in such a perfect way.

[@Maxmaxmax63]

Same problem the schizoid a’la Guntrip has. Read The Schizoid Phenomenon and Object Relations

[@Stoney-Jacksman]

why the need to do /create something (if it doesnt come close to how you want it to be)?

[@DashaTheDivineDivah]

Sooooo true

[@trojecan]

In my opinion, perfectionism is almost always linked with the fear of failure. So once you accept that the first draft will always be imperfect and give yourself the permission to fail, your art starts to grow.

[@jrm78]

One of my regrets in life was not taking a writing course from David Foster Wallace while I was a student at Illinois State in the late '90s. But at the time, I was unaware of how great a talent he was.

[@sdrw7389]

That would have been something else.

[@justmeeagainn]

jrm78 what makes you think he would have accepted you into his class?

[@LCInstrumentals]

Oh my god, sorry you missed out on that man.

[@towelierg-400smarttowel9]

Shaka, when the walls fell

[@felixeisenmenger1914]

@@justmeeagainn Jesus Christ dude that is pretentious af For starters you dont know anything about him, so you have no academic or intellectual basis to judge him on and furthermore I sincerely doubt that he picked his students, for most students the fact that you'd have to write at a very high grammatical and linguistical level to get good (or even just average) grades was probably enough of a turn-off.

[@Andres-is3lj]

This guy makes me think that sincerity is the only thing you need to produce something good

[@chocolatewheelchair]

it is not true i think

[@BrandonScottFox1]

God I love the sound of this man's voice. It soothes me like a lullaby.

[@taasinbinhossainalvi9173]

He’s also very persuasive

[@mitchwebster5088]

Me too. I recently listened to his “This is Water” speech and a recording of “Consider the Lobster” and it is incredible

[@loganrandall780]

Fun fact: Paul Thomas Anderson, filmmaker behind There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights and Magnolia was taught briefly by DFW.

[@themoreyouknowfools4974]

That explains PTA's writing. He's one of my favorite filmmakers.

[@nomecognome8737]

somehow I always imagined that. Even the way PTA speaks in interviews always reminded me of David Foster Wallace

[@chloelee784]

I never imagined his voice is so soft and gentle!!! I could listen to him all day!!!

[@matthewosmesfin265]

come back to this every couple months.. just remarkably therapeutic

[@lumos2230]

Jason segel potrayed him so well in " End of the tour " got the voice right and everything damn

[@sdrw7389]

Rest in peace you brilliant man.

[@shanetobin3609]

@Steve Olson what? Why would you ever do that?

[@jeffkit5507]

I like to think this world would be a better place if he was still alive. Then again he’s contributed beauty though words that’s unmeasurable. You are missed Mr. Wallace, but not forgotten.

[@jeffkit5507]

I like to think this world would be a better place if he was still alive. Then again he’s contributed beauty though words that’s unmeasurable. You are missed Mr. Wallace, but not forgotten.

[@John_Smith_Dumfugg]

"But there's also the drugs? " "... Dh-..... Ye....." Killed me lmao

[@Flore-162]

😂 me too

[@dantoledano4780]

The way you take interviews and segments from conversations of diverse creative people and put them to drawings is inspiring.

[@NJGuy1973]

Whenever someone tells me they're going on a cruise, I suggest they read "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again."

[@brendaandrus]

Lol. I read it while on a cruise. Definitely exposed/ruined the hedonistic factor and I’ll probably not cruise again.

[@NJGuy1973]

@@brendaandrus I also liked the essay in Consider the Lobster about why Tracy Austin's memoirs were insipid.

[@LushDepths]

I randomly clicked on this video (not knowing who this guy was) and was happily surprised to find that he was a former English professor at my college.

[@onecentnickel]

He was very intellectual, I hope you had a class with him, if not, oh well. Although I do suggest you read some of his works.

[@dickydmcd]

I discovered this guy watching a Charlie Rose interview on youtube a couple of months ago. Instantly bought Broom of the System. It's great! he's great!

[@prede89]

he's not just a professor. He was a philosopher, famous writer, and all around amazing guy.

[@heathkrida]

Shakespeare, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, and David Foster Wallace. Easily one of the ten best writers to ever live. It seems like folks in this thread don't know who DFW was?

[@skygeneralmonkey1856]

love DFW as much as the next guy...but woah there partner

[@KM-zm9tu]

very little on ambition here.

[@BlankonblankOrg]

You don't hear it?

[@JoeCorneli]

+Ken McCarthy if your ambition is to get high and watch tv...

[@jakesibley897]

+Blank on Blank suuuuper pretentious reply there friendo

[@nososha]

it's that late allready?

[@csqw]

I'd agree. More about acknowledging one's limitations (at least that is what I took from the video).

[@mandymonkey99]

he used the phrase "grammar nazi" in 1996

[@probusexcogitatoris736]

Yes. It's funny how millennials and younger generations seem to think they've invented the wheel. Most of the memes and shit you are spreading around, aren't all that new and creative. There is truly little new under the sun.

[@PauseFilms]

+Probus Excogitatoris Funny how you take a simple comment and just really put your own narrative and intention behind it. Guessing you have some built up aggression against millennials.

[@LoliconSamalik]

Probus Excogitatoris ever thought it's kind of funny and cool that these terms were even being used 20 years ago?

[@probusexcogitatoris736]

Pause Films Nope, just pointing out facts... but it seems like I unintentionally touched a sore spot :)

[@jodawgsup]

"younger generations seem to think they've invented the wheel" what?

[@DannyMcCaffrey]

This seems to be eternally in my sidebar as I come back to it consistently over the years. His thoughts on perfectionism are so vivid it chokes me up. If only Id heard this sooner instead of learning the hard way.

[@burntoast4269]

I hear you

[@WickedTwitches]

Sold on this channel in seconds. Such fantastic interview candidates on here.

[@tonykelsi8865]

awesome Channel 👍

[@Voltanaut]

I love DFW. I miss him so much. I got so emotional watching this that I had to pause it a few times. I have such difficulty these days reading Infinite Jest and his collections of essays because I can't remove the image of his death from my mind. Goddamnit, David.

[@Voltanaut]

Me72 David's my favourite writer. Simply put I really like his work. I'd feel just as sad if Cormac McCarthy died or if Lemmy died or if Paul McCartney died, etc. In a way I'm pleased I didn't know David because if I did the pain of his death would have been even worse.

[@matoranman]

+HarryIsTheGamingGeek lemmy died

[@Voltanaut]

matoranman I know. I was depressed for a whole week. You?

[@matoranman]

it didnt hit me very hard to be honest. hang in there bud

[@Voltanaut]

matoranman I'm all right now. I've had long enough to grieve. I did go on one helluva Motorhead binge though. David Bowie?

[@bhn7731]

He sounds so smooth and sure and articulate and engaged. The presentation here and graphics are very fine.

[@TristanIRL]

One of my favorite authors! He left us too early.

[@adombovic]

About half way through Infinite Jest. Sad we couldn't have more of you DFW

[@22mae]

How could someone this intellectual and inspiring end his life?.. his words inspire me a lot..:(

[@ciscohour5884]

Depression is real

[@colloredbrothers]

I have/had (not sure yet) the same problem, I saw it written somewhere and it encapsulated it so perfectly. Paralysis through analysis.

[@maxlambie7788]

it was probably in ij

[@brandonterzic]

it should be written in words of fire: FINISHED IS BETTER THAN PERFECT

[@1dbanner]

I'm always humbled and humiliated reading Wallace. I cannot begin to imagine how chaotic it was inside his towering intellect. May he rest in peace.

[@deltagraph]

This video helps me when I'm having trouble with essays or feeling cruddy, it's great motivation :)

[@skiphoffenflaven8004]

The idea that the student is the “genius” and the teacher can only teach you what is “retrograde or outdated” is increasingly common in students today, at least in college. The majority of professors/teachers don’t think they are geniuses. They know exactly what that looks like and quickly realize that they are not while in grad school and/or in their years of teaching. What they are, though, is vastly more experienced, more nuanced, and more well-rounded than their students. That has become more and more difficult to get students to understand over the past 10 years.

[@djobokuwali4316]

I had to rewind the first 20 seconds like five times.

[@SOLE_II_SOUL]

Djobo Kuwali Facts, lol. And dope profile pic, Basquiat the man ✊🏾

[@juxtapost_]

I wonder what he thought of Paul Thomas Anderson as a student in his class.

[@katelinmarie5360]

What, really?

[@BillytheEntertainer]

@@katelinmarie5360 "I called him once. He was very generous with his phone number. He said “Call me if you got any questions,” and I called him a couple times … I ran a few ideas by him about this paper that I was writing. I was writing a paper on Don DeLillo’s White Noise … I’d come up with a couple crazy ideas, and I don’t remember the conversation well, but I just remember him being real generous at like, you know, midnight the night before it was due … I’d love to go back and read [White Noise] again." - PTA on DFW

[@nicholasbarrett2204]

Just read about that, sounds like PTA really had a great awakening in DFW's english class.

[@boxking2832]

Or Bill Burr, he was also a student in his class.

[@DocAlexandrite]

@@boxking2832 WHAT

[@yungyosef]

MORE FAMOUS WRITERS PLEASE!!!!!! This video was so good!!!!!

[@sonchik6324]

Damn, I’m seriously in love with this man

[@c.galindo9639]

He seems like a person that learned a lot and is set towards certain goals and wpuld be an excellent guru of sorts to learn upon

[@c.galindo9639]

@@DPhoenixPoet good for the insight but he left a mark and did what he could to his best ability. He could have been greater but he had faults that he couldn’t overcome

[@ts4gv]

Dude. The kick drum in the first bit of music sounds fucking amazing.

[@pvrunner8]

I think I speak for everyone when I say...we'd all like to see more David Foster Wallace on this channel. Even though I'm sure radio footage is limited and such.

[@julianblake8385]

I find 3 things funny in this interview: 1. The interviewer bringing the drug factor out the blue in the middle of a totally different topic. 2, The fact that FW considered annoying and frustrating reading people who write only to show off that they're clever, and you see a lot of arrogant comments in this video, by probable FW followers, who seem to be doing precisely that. And 3, the fact that Foster Wallace, of all people, Foster Wallace is saying that it is annoying to read such people. The irony there!

[@memegimygimy1526]

I was thinking the exact same thing! DFW loves words and has and incredible vocabulary, but come on, he was trying to be clever and impressive with that exhaustive vocabulary! Give me a break.

[@pranitsinha1075]

No, that's not what david foster wallace meant by 'clever'. Verbose and 'clever' are two separate things. By clever, it would be appropriate to say he meant writing which plays around with ideas but doesn't really have anything to _say_ .

[@ExtremelyTastyBread]

"3, the fact that Foster Wallace, of all people, Foster Wallace is saying that it is annoying to read such people. The irony there!" Thank you, I was hoping someone else had the same thought.

[@SwanintheLake3]

Is your name Pot? Stop yelling at the Kettle for being hot.

[@spencer1531]

Yeah I think he's great but he was clearly just projecting an insecurity he had about his own intentions for writing.

[@definitelynotdia7532]

Been reading him for a bit. First time I’ve ever heard him. I’m in the middle of Consider The Lobster and I know when I get back to the book I’ll hear the words in his voice now.

[@andrewsmith6305]

Just came here to say that Jason Bitner did an awesome job on the music! I know it's just the background vibes, but damn! I love the music in this one. Video is great and of course the interview content is cool but the music really captured my attention on this one and I don't normally notice the tunes in these short "blank on blank" videos.

[@TheOnlyGimmeturben]

This is one of the most important figures out there, especially because of his foresight on post modernism

[@heitorcaramez]

How can he can foresight something that comes from the 50, 60s

[@codacreator6162]

The dead stop when the interviewer dropped the "D" word. Wallace maintained his entire life that he never had a drug problem. He drank, sometimes to excess, but never drugs. Just because Infinite Jest is wrapped around the drug culture doesn't me it's his life he used as a model. I saw the same pause in the German TV interview when the cameraman accused him of "pontificating." It's the pause of disappointed offense.

[@goliaboi]

He definitely sounds like a stoner.

[@JP51ism]

Wallace was on prescription medications, for depression; some shortcoming of, negligence or mismanagement of may have attributed to his suicide.

[@GamingAttempt]

Alcohol is a drug

[@nara808]

He used a variety of drugs and openly admitted to it.

[@darwindeeez]

the phrasing in these comments is way above par for youtube and very flattering if viewed, as it should be, as a reflection on DFW@@JP51ism

[@5piecekit]

I would have risked an imperfectly placed semi colon, (and the subsequent "C" grade) for the chance to have taken his class. RIP David!!

[@hghbunger927]

I think the important thing to remember about that quote you post in the description, is that he spent years struggling with that. Struggling with perfection is far better than disregarding it.

[@nickgeffen8316]

This song at the end is a frickin' JAM!

[@exv092]

I have to say that I don't watch TV or sports. I therefore have the time to search for and discover amazing videos like these. The animation blended with the inspiring interviews gives a very cool sense of amazement even. Keep up the good work!!!

[@TylerCloke]

I watch sports and have also read infinite jest. Turns out you can be interested in multiple things :)

[@acex222]

Watching KZbin all day doesn't make you better than anyone else.

[@ciscohour5884]

KZbin is tv

[@Voltanaut]

The poster to 'The End of the Tour' seems very inspired by this video.

[@5easy]

ha truth

[@palbo4]

Such a fantastic movie

[@NxDoyle]

David Foster Wallace was brilliant and tortured, so when he killed himself it appeared, as it so often does with tortured brilliant people, that the two always sat together until the last day, when torture wrested control and forced the issue. So in the final analysis, people take the brilliance end of the shoelace and the tortured end of the shoelace and tie a nice bow. I have the torture, but not the brilliance.

[@Yavanna16]

Nobody, in my humble opinion, who can come to the conclusion that they lack brilliance is actually incapable of it. Maybe you're more brilliant a critic than a writer, I don't know, but if you can recognise brilliance in others, you can cultivate it in yourself. And I though the beautiful, beautiful metaphor of a shoe lace you came up with, was, what's the word for it, brilliant!

[@darwindeeez]

That is brilliantly stated

[@AngelBug8580]

I adore this! It's just fantastic. Keep up the awesome work guys!

[@nameless-is8ft]

I don't know why but this reminds me of a Dr.Katz episode, the pacing feels alot lIke it and the music too. Fits well. RIP to this great mind.

[@CatEnthusiast-gr3cv]

Dr Katz is tight.

[@bennovonarchimboldi9635]

Holy fack . This is not only really intriguing to listen on an "intellectual" base but also in the way his voice sounds so damn smooth.

[@jamesbnorman1]

Profound. Everything he gives his insight on is so profound to me.

[@radbro24]

The first 30 seconds of this video really resonate with me and have driven to me change that sort of aspect

[@JonJonJonJonJonJonJonJon]

‘Ambition is like your bank account , you always think there’s more in it than there actually is ‘ - Dylan Moran

[@azolawentula9758]

Great writer there is something special about moon in virgo's ability to analyse and put that i analysis into practical use. Simply not matched. 2022 anyone.

[@Misserbi]

If David Foster Wallace walked into a bar he would be adorned but if he represented the feeling he would be scrutinized until he explained it.

[@jan_Travis]

He had flaws such as being a quasi-sexist but he really was a beautiful soul. Who doesn't have flaws really? His work is summed up simply as "what it means to be fucking human." Infinite Jest blew my mind and it still does. Rest in peace you beautiful man.

[@alexanderthegreat1270]

There’s also such a sharp moment when the interviewer goes “There’s also the drug thing” and DFW just sort of resigns himself to a “yeah”. He always hated how people thought of him as a “Drug” or “Psychedelic” writer when his prose always cut deeper than that

[@Gettothegone]

Quasi sexist should be taken lightly as accusations in today’s environment of toxic feminism which is seen in many modern films with a female lead.

[@akshayhere]

@@Gettothegone lol

[@brennenspice6098]

​@alexanderthegreat1270 I think that's a bit diminishing towards psychedelic writers. Wallace was truly terrified of his drug history being used a celebrity marketing thing. The cultural need to elevate an artists suffering above others kind of grossed him out in his own words- understandbly so.

[@soheiladam7510]

is the quasi sexist a new word you learned in your backward school or something 🤦

[@Draxtor]

He is still the best!

[@enotswhat]

so glad I have smart enough friends to put me on to a channel like this.

[@comicsgrinder]

Agreed. I love the graphics! Wonderful animation.

[@dogboydog]

The animation is awesome, so stylish and nice.

[@Violetcas97]

Is it just me or did DFW always sound like he had just been coming off of a cold in every one if his interviews.

[@spencer1531]

Tea & Book talks learn to suspend your judgement

[@Matt-nb3yb]

Tea & Book talks I think the deduction here might be that's just how he sounded

[@princessjellyfish6057]

Tea & Book talks drugs

[@jimjambananaslam3596]

@@princessjellyfish6057 Drugs make you soft spoken?

[@samaraisnt]

He has the voice of someone who has just been crying.

[@thebrazillian8]

BRING THESE BACK!!!!

[@newsdocumentary3702]

I like how he disagreed to the questions mostly until he said yes to the drug question.

[@rokeeffe91]

Gosh... I had no idea he had such a soft voice... Wish he was still around...

[@jonfcartwright479]

Beautiful vanity - fun take; thanks!

[@blurgle9185]

"If your fidelity to perfectionism is too high you'd never do anything." "...any student's deployment of a semi-colon isn't absolutely mozartesque knows they will only get a C in my class" I would've hated him as a teacher.

[@danielmucyn]

Exactly. Gatekeeping like that when most of his students would probably wish to earn a post-graduate degree is pretty obnoxious. Teaching is about having others learn, and less about punishment, or at least it should be. Respecting others growth process and where they are in the tree of knowledge is of great importance to students who care.

[@JH-fb3mp]

@@danielmucyn was definitely a joke

[@Nippleless_Cage]

@@JH-fb3mp it really seemed like he was serious.

[@jazzguevara8250]

-Start video -Disable subtitles -Listen to David Foster Wallace talk -Activate subtitles again

[@nonchalantd]

PBS has some of the best programming.

[@liefwerk]

This channel is like ice cream

[@zachdavis6272]

Rest in peace David wish I could have met you.

[@OtisOtisHH17]

This music couldn't be more NPR-ish even if it tried. DFW is great though...or, well, he was anyway.

[@BlankonblankOrg]

send along your alt score :)

[@gametv9on]

+Blank on Blank whats the name of the music ?

[@omnibus5359]

Blank on Blank Where to?

[@TobiasDuncan]

In 2013 that would still have been a compliment.

[@rawltg]

I am an Editor and i think the music works for me in general but the editing in this doesn't. The music should have faded out at 0:44-0:45 but it drags along till 1:25 almost unnecessarily as it won't be risen again, since there's no need. NPR-ish or not, i like the general feel of the composition, though i must add i'm not an American.

[@The_Supervillain]

Really fantastic, thanks for sharing.

[@Cybrus07]

Absolutely wonderful.

[@billybegley8948]

god i wish he was still alive to comment on everything today. he predicted so much with infinite jest, it's uncanny reading it this decade.

[@pchamney]

I'm a bit of a grammar extremist,but I can't see giving otherwise great students a 'C' grade on their writing, simply because they've punctuated something incorrectly. Not every writing genius will be perfect grammatically. That's why we have editors and proofreaders.

[@AlexMageethefirst]

I would expect any true grammar extremist to know of the word 'hyperbole'.

[@blaze34]

Alex Magee Grammar extremists may lack keen senses on figures of speech.

[@TristanIRL]

Addicted to Data You mean you're a SNOOT...

[@shekeib]

+Addicted to Data i doubt he actually gives them a C......i hope

[@hermanmelville3871]

Most great writers I've known are no the greatest when it comes to grammar. "That's what editors are for" is a phrase I hear quite often.

[@Lanearndt]

beautiful job! great animation for the greatest mind of the 20th century!

[@user-yk9sk7pg6v]

I like this animation - great job :)

[@manoneal1724]

Thank you. My heart is now filled with joy. Yay.

[@kermit9817]

i was going to comment something along the lines of “only a tennis player could write infinite jest” but then i realized more accurately that only david foster wallace could write infinite jest

[@BurntPuke82]

The brilliant minds are always the most tortured. RIP to one of the best.

[@Tbonethe1nfinite]

Seems almost none of these comments understand what he meant.

[@OffGridCofee]

For sure a legend

[@shivanshpachauri2855]

his voice is so soothing

[@chloe01010]

Never related to the intro more than anything in my life. Such a perfectionist that I don’t do stuff unless I do it perfectly first time.

[@dddebolt]

DFW is amazing. Really sad to see him go.

[@Lions4322]

Cool. You guys should do one of these on Kubrick.

[@chilltowntv]

Love this! One of my favorite writers and ANIMATION (which is my life!)

[@PoopTruffles]

music is sick wtf u guys talkign about

[@fortisnegro]

PoopTruffles yes .....true !!!! Wtf !!!

[@benjamindavid8601]

lold

[@kpag3030]

Well.. an interesting guy. There are thousands of words I could use to describe David Foster Wallace, but I can’t come up with a better one than (interesting).

[@coreypajka2860]

This is really cool. I hope you do more like this.

[@Patoman470]

I was stunned just by the opening

[@drachaksakcha]

Personally, I never felt frustrated by works that try to show me how clever the writer is. Quite the opposite, in fact. I think I enjoy reading clever things, even ones that beat me over the head with cleverness, and I'm having trouble articulating why. Anyone else want to chime in on why they either like or dislike works like this?

[@jakisinfrance]

New favourite channel

[@mecsimoto7010]

this is inspirational!

[@maxinebunnyx]

This makes so much sense.

[@Magnificoooooo]

man the point he made about students writing papers trying to seem clever is funny I think I did the same thing and would every once in a while receive a B+ or something for a 10 page paper and be really miffed

[@yeahrightbear8883]

This video isn't about ambition at all. It's about perfectionism, tennis and the difference in being a teacher vs being a student. Nowhere in here does he ever talk about ambition. Here's my opinion on ambition. The lack of ambition is what leads to depression. If you aren't passionate about things and you aren't trying to improve yourself then of course you are going to be depressed. This is a good thing. This is why humans are so innovative because nothing is ever good enough. It could always be better. And thus we have advanced to the point were we have the ability to leave the earth. Think about that. We live in a closed system that nothing is supposed to be able to escape from and yet we figured out how to get out. That to me is the most impressive thing humans have ever accomplished and the ultimate example of ambition.

[@drewthefoo]

this is great work!

[@deedotyou]

I love the moment at 1:56 where he adjusts the microphone haha. I giggled

[@clayerkwiltee2315]

Why?

[@deedotyou]

​@@clayerkwiltee2315 idk it's just one of those cute little details in an animation that make it what it is, like i could see him having done this in a real life interview

[@AwesomeRob64]

can anybody identify the music in this or is it just stock music or something like that?

[@andrewkyres692]

I'd like to know, too!

[@TheBookchemist]

Absurdly awesome :)

[@hazyhillsblue]

This made my week. David rocks and you guys rock too. ^-^