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Our Rivalry

2018-09-14 · letter vlog · Hank · 3:52 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Personal life (also: Books & writing) · mode: Personal essay · tags: self promotion

Showing the finished first edition of his book, Hank answers reporters' question about competing with John: he never measures his success against John's, since success has a different, changing shape for each person and only looks big or small in comparison; their rivalry made the videos funnier, not a contest of worth, and he thanks John for his support.

What is said

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

00:00:00 — The final first edition; reporters, including the Wall Street Journal, ask whether Hank competes with John; he never compares

  • ★★ Hank shows the final first edition of his book, the version that will be in stores: pretty, beautiful, loved and terrifying. — 00:00:00 · An Absolutely Remarkable Thing
  • ★★ Hank says press people have invariably asked him whether there is a sense of competition with John and whether he will compare his book's success with John's books. — 00:00:00 · John Green
  • ★ On Tuesday a Wall Street Journal reporter seemed to ask him this question begrudgingly, as if she knew the answer. (hedged) — 00:00:31
  • ★★★ It has never occurred to Hank that his book will sell as well as John's, not because it is ridiculous, which it is, but because he doesn't imagine his success in relation to John's. — 00:00:31 · John Green, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

00:01:01 — Success has different, changing shapes and is sized by comparison; why the brothers compete only to make better jokes; John's good fortune is Hank's

  • ★★ Hank has been thinking about success because there is a lot of frustration and burnout in the YouTube community. (hedged) — 00:01:01 · occupational burnout, YouTube
  • ★★★ Hank says we forget that success is a different shape for different people, who each imagine it differently, and that it also changes shape. — 00:01:01
  • ★★ When Hank has changed how he imagines the world, his shape of success changed too; those moments were sometimes hard but always good. (hedged) — 00:01:01
  • ★★★ Like any shape, success only shows its size in relation to something: we compare it with our own past, and with other people's success, or our idea of it. — 00:01:31
  • ★★ Hank says such comparison happens with siblings, for obvious reasons. (hedged) — 00:01:31
  • ★★ Hank says the comparison has not happened between him and John, and he can't say why. (unsure) — 00:01:53 · John Green
  • ★★ It is not because they aren't competitive: put Hank and John on a mini golf course and hope no one comes out bleeding. (playful) — 00:01:53 · John Green, Hank Green
  • ★★★ Hank thinks the videos got better because the brothers tried to outdo each other, wanting to make a better joke, not to be more successful. (hedged) — 00:01:53 · Vlogbrothers
  • ★★★ That differs from measuring the value of their contributions to the universe against each other, which is what this artificial, somewhat gross concept of success means. (hedged) — 00:01:53
  • ★★★ Hank feels that every time something good happens to John, it is a good thing happening to him. (hedged) — 00:02:23 · John Green
  • ★★★ Hank calls this a valuable gift, given to him at least in part by this community and this project, and is very thankful. (hedged) — 00:02:23 · Nerdfighteria, Vlogbrothers
  • ★ The Wall Street Journal reporter also asked whether John was planning projects to promote the book; Hank guessed probably. — 00:02:23 · John Green

00:02:52 — The reporter's question about John's promotion; Hank thanks John for his lifelong support; sign-off and release date

00:03:34 — Tour dates and the new Nerdfighter backpack

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing · Sibling rivalry · Social comparison theory

Also: Projects: DFTBA Records

Works: Nerdfighter backpack

Organizations: The Wall Street Journal · YouTube

Concepts: occupational burnout

Places: Bellingham, Washington · Boston · Chicago (city) · Denver · Indianapolis · Kansas City, Missouri · Los Angeles · Milwaukee · New York City · North Canton · San Diego · Santa Cruz, California

Later videos replying to this one