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The Stories We Tell Ourselves: Thoughts from Amsterdam

2018-03-30 · letter vlog · Hank · 3:11 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Philosophy & meaning (also: Personal life, Internet & YouTube) · mode: Personal essay

Seeing Amsterdam's bike culture as both circumstance and chosen norms, Hank reflects that VidCon, like any community, is a chance to examine the stories we tell ourselves; he looks ahead to VidCon in Anaheim and Australia, and with his new podcast Delete This argues that love can mix joy with care, concern and thought.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Amsterdam's bikes, trams and trains: circumstance and chosen norms

  • ★★ Hank was in Amsterdam last week (week of 19 March 2018) and, as always away from home, noticed small differences: bikes, trains and trams, while in his town almost everybody drives. — 00:00:00 · Amsterdam
  • ★★★ Hank says Amsterdam's transport is partly circumstance (dense, old narrow roads, flat, no Montana snow) but also choice: individuals establishing and following norms. — 00:00:10 · Amsterdam, Montana
  • ★★ In Amsterdam people bike even when a bus is faster or it is raining, because that's what you do, and so everything is built for bikes, trams and trains. — 00:00:25 · Amsterdam
  • ★★ Hank doesn't know how norms get established, but imagines they are what fits the people who make a place, making them feel valued, healthy and satisfied. (speculative) — 00:00:39

00:00:55 — Story blending into place and groups; VidCon EU without fans as cultural exploration

  • ★★★ Hank thought at VidCon EU about how story blends into place and groups, because that is also the story of online communities, which VidCon is ultimately about. — 00:00:55 · VidCon
  • ★★ VidCon EU this year (2018) could not have a fan component, for reasons Hank puts on screen. — 00:01:09 · VidCon
  • ★★★ VidCon EU was still a cultural exploration: a chance to ask where our ideas come from, what stories we tell ourselves and each other, and whether they are good. — 00:01:14 · VidCon
  • ★★ Having the community present makes that exploration even better, Hank thinks. (hedged) — 00:01:23 · VidCon

00:01:27 — Plans for VidCon Anaheim and Australia: speeches, panels, acoustic set

  • ★★ Hank is excited for VidCon in Anaheim and Australia later this year (2018), preparing speeches on defining success and making content that gets attention without harming viewers. (hedged) — 00:01:27 · VidCon, Australia
  • ★★ Hank is excited about his panels and about playing an old-school acoustic set to close out the whole event in Anaheim. — 00:01:46 · VidCon

00:01:53 — Messy, complex stories; Delete This and loving something with care mixed into joy

  • ★★★ Hank is proud of VidCon and of people who take their stories seriously and let them change and become messy and complex. — 00:01:53 · VidCon
  • ★★★ After discussing with Katherine on Delete This how messy stories make 100% love hard, Hank suggests full love isn't right: joy mixed with care, concern and thought. (hedged) — 00:02:01 · Delete This, Katherine Green
  • ★★ Hank loves his new podcast, Delete This, in which Katherine reviews his Twitter feed; links and maybe some coupon codes are in the description. — 00:02:24 · Delete This, Katherine Green, Twitter

00:02:35 — Wanting more chances to examine the stories he tells himself; sign-off

  • ★★★ Hank wants more chances to examine the stories he tells himself: a weekly hour on his Twitter feed with someone who cares, travel and time-lapses, and gatherings of like-minded people. — 00:02:35 · Delete This, VidCon, Twitter

In the description and comments

  • ★ In the description Hank says the video makes sense to him but may not to everyone; he may have made some leaps too quickly. (hedged) — video description
  • ★ The description says Delete This is available wherever you get podcasts, except Spotify, which Hank calls annoying. (playful) — video description · Delete This

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Amsterdam · social norm · storytelling · VidCon

Also: Anaheim, California · Australia · Delete This · Katherine Green · Montana · online community · Twitter · VidCon Europe

Only in the description or credits: Spotify · VidCon Australia

Also centred on social norm: Dec. 6th: Peer Pressure and the Green Green Manifesto · How to Tip Properly · Why Are Vegetarians Annoying? (An Exploration of a Cultural Rift) · BEEF DAYS · Some Reasons why People Suck

Also centred on storytelling: Announcing NerdCon: Stories · What's This Video About?

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