Fixing Your Life Algorithm and Just What Is The Opposite Problem?

Welcome to Potentially Focused! It's Tuesday morning on May 20th. Hope your day is off to a good start! Today, we...

• Discover what The Opposite Problem is.
• Make our life algorithm better.
• And share a great TED Talk recommendation on the perils of creative genius.

Please like, subscribe, and share with your favorite creative genius or any kind of genius or non-genius you like. We are not the boss of you!

Thanks very much for reading,

Marco

Andiamo…

A NEW PLATFORM FOR ORIGINALS

If you haven't heard of Kanopy, it's a streamer offering thousands of hours of films and TV shows all for free. And, that's due to support from public and academic libraries.

So far, Kanopy has reached 45 million people in the US and now, at a time when some platforms are cutting back, it's adding originals to their content mix.

According to the Tubefilter newsletter...

Kanopy's first original, Banned Together, a documentary about book burnings premiered on April 25. And, the streaming service announced its first original series, a 2026 reality competition, America’s Next Great Author, hosted by writer Kwame Alexander. The series seeks out aspiring writers who need support to realize their novel ideas and the winner gets a publishing deal.

So, why is Kanopy jumping into original content now?

Kanopy GM Jason Tyrell says that the platform’s originals give viewers a “compelling reason” to get a library card, bringing more support to local spaces that have been affected by a long-term decline.

Tyrell also notes that other streaming services’ increasingly inconsistent policies could play into Kanopy’s hands. Kanopy sees an opening to draw in consumers “who are tired of increasing subscription costs or frustrated with the ad-supported experience.”

I always like to see a new buyer enter the market. Good luck to Kanopy as they begin this next phase!

And now...

WHAT IS THE OPPOSITE PROBLEM?

I was driven to start this newsletter as I had some time on my hands and I'm a naturally curious person. In particular, I like to dig into what makes people tick. And so, I do a lot of reading on human psychology whether related to personal or business issues.

PS - In an alternate reality somewhere, I'm an organizational psychologist or maybe a behavioral economist. And in some other timeline still, I am FOR SURE a slick passing six nine point guard with a clutch 3 point shot for an NBA team, but that's getting off topic...

What is on topic, is this post from Helena Price . According to her bio, Price is a founder, advisor, coach, investor and creative. She also writes a newsletter geared towards founders and the post I linked to above is one of her most recent.

In it, she calls out something I hadn't heard of before.

The opposite problem.

What is it? Something that whether you are a founder or not, is good to be aware of and factor into your development as a leader. Be sure to read her full piece, but here are a few key points:

Price says that when we have a very bad experience with someone, especially in the formative period of early adulthood (like a terrible first boss or a mentor gone wrong), we often develop values and behaviors that are the exact opposite of those we associate with the traumatic or repulsive experience. This phenomenon is real and has a name: reaction formation.

At first glance, that doesn't sound too bad. We are reacting by being the exact opposite of the bad boss we had. The problem, Price points out is that by becoming the exact opposite, we go to an extreme. We go too far in the opposite direction and end up being both a less authentic version of ourselves and not as good a leader as we could potentially be.

From her work with founders, Price noticed that these kinds of formational traumatic experiences included:

• Witnessing the corrosive effects of wealth or power on formerly ethical people
• Experiencing toxic leadership in early career roles
• Suffering through failure in high-stakes environments
• Shouldering the weight of impossible expectations

And that, people ended up reacting by becoming:

• The Success Avoider: Founders who deliberately reject growth opportunities to avoid becoming "too big" (often after witnessing how wealth or power corrupted someone they admired)
• The Martyr: Leaders who over-give and sacrifice all work-life boundaries to avoid resembling toxic, self-centered bosses from their past
• The Risk Absolutist: Entrepreneurs who swing between extreme caution and reckless risk-taking, without finding the strategic middle ground
• The Self-Deprecator: People who minimize their achievements and competence out of guilt, to avoid resembling arrogant figures from their past

While none of the categories above may be as toxic as some of the people whose behaviors triggered the move towards an opposing persona, it's also fair to say none of the above are optimal leadership styles.

Courtesy of Helena Price, here are some signs that you might be caught in reaction formation:

1. Strong negative reactions to certain personality types or behaviors (often disproportionate to the actual situation)
2. Rigid adherence to particular values or behaviors, with little flexibility
3. Identity statements focused on what you're not: "I'm not the kind of person who..."
4. All-or-nothing thinking about certain traits or behaviors
5. Excessive pride in being different from a particular person or group
6. Fear of resembling someone who hurt you
7. Over-identification with being the "opposite" of a negative figure in your life

Any of the above hitting home for you?

If so, you may want to take some time to think about an approach to leadership that is more representative of your authentic values and self. While it's admirable to strive to be better than leaders you've seen fall short, it's smart to remember that going 180 degrees in the opposite direction may not always be the right answer either.

Thanks again to Helena Price for bringing up an issue I hadn't seen discussed before.

Next up...

A POTENTIALLY INTERESTING TED TALK

As I've said often, one of my favorite parts of writing this newsletter is hearing from someone who has a recommendation on something I should write about or share. It points to the little community building up among us all. And thank you for that!

Samantha C. is a friend of mine and this newsletter. In fact, we recently featured some of her writing. Check it out here if you missed it.

Samantha reached out a few days back with a recommendation for a TED Talk to share with you all. And, so, thanks to Samantha, I'm doing so today.

Here's a link to author Elizabeth Gilbert's 2009 Ted Talk on creativity.

If you're not familiar with Gilbert, she is the author of Eat, Pray, Love and in this talk she focuses on thoughts around creativity she thinks are damaging. The timing is key here as the talk comes soon after the massive and unexpected success of her memoir. And, in the talk she's clearly grappling with how to move forward after such a huge success.

But, her talk raises a lot of good points whether you're a best selling author, or have just always wanted to try something creative.

Take time to watch the video, but below are a few quick and important things that jumped out at me:

Gilbert challenges the idea that creativity entails having to suffer great pain and torment. She points out that views on the relationship between creativity and the need to suffer for that creativity changed a few hundred years back. Up until the change, Gilbert explains that the suffering artist trope wasn't really a thing. Something, I had not realized...

In the days of ancient Rome, according to Gilbert, it was thought that creative genius was on loan to you. It came from somewhere else, you had it for a while and then it might even go away. That view, Gilbert notes, makes trying to be creative a lot less pressured as you think of yourself as more of a vessel than a one in a billion bizarrely gifted human who then MUST maintain your creative genius with one great work of art or hit after another. And, if you fail to do that, you'll be regarded as a failure, a has-been or never really was.

That's A LOT of pressure. Gilbert points to that pressure as part of the reason some people never try to do something creative in the first place.

Gilbert, and she clearly includes herself in this, encourages creative people to take the view that any creative genius you have is on loan to you. To go back to the beliefs of ancient Romans.

And, she argues doing so is much less intimidating, better for your mental health and focuses you on your key responsibility - to just keep showing up and doing your job. Essentially, Gilbert's take on creativity is to put your work in, hone your craft and with time and some luck perhaps some creative genius will come through.

Maybe she and those ancient Romans are on to something...

That settled, let's move onto...

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE ALGORITHM

For better or worse, algorithms dominate our life. While I don't generally write about food issues, the old expression "you are what you eat", is a good jumping off point for life today.

These days, we are what we click.

This Psychology Today article raises several key points, which you may be familiar with but are worth repeating:

• What you click on today shapes what algorithms show you tomorrow, influencing your emotions and mindset.
• Research shows social media algorithms reinforce exposure to the emotional tone you engage with most.
• Repeated exposure to negative content trains the brain for stress, but positive inputs build resilience.

The bottom line is what we click on doesn't just reflect what we’re interested in—it shapes what we become interested in. If we aren’t mindful, our digital lives—and by extension, our emotional lives—can become an echo chamber of fear, anger, or despair without us even realizing it.

But... There IS good news!

Neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to rewire itself based on experience — can help us change. What we focus on, we strengthen. So, if we can accidentally train our brains to expect the worst, we can also intentionally train them to notice hope, humor, and beauty.

Dr. Lindsey Godwin who wrote the article suggests these three simple ways to begin to shift your algorithm and mindset:

1. Audit Your Input

Take five minutes to scan your most-used social media feeds. Ask yourself:

• What emotions does this content evoke in me?
• Does it leave me feeling energized, connected, inspired—or depleted and small?

Unfollow or mute accounts that consistently drain you, even if they seem important or popular.

2. Curate for Curiosity and Joy

Seek out accounts, newsletters (I humbly suggest this one), podcasts, and creators that align with the emotions you want to feel more often. Some questions to guide your curation:

• Who makes me laugh without punching down?
• Who inspires real, grounded hope, not just toxic positivity?
• Who challenges me to think more deeply without making me feel hopeless?

Think of it as what some have started referring to as "bloomscrolling" or intentionally planting seeds of curiosity, beauty, and humor in your daily feed.

3. Remember: Offline Inputs Matter, Too

Changing your algorithm isn’t just about technology. The people you spend time with, the books you read, the environments you immerse yourself in. These are all “feeds” for your brain.

Be just as mindful about who and what you let shape your inner landscape offline as you are online.

Great suggestions, and given the dominance of social media and algorithms in our lives these days, I highly suggest you read the full article. I hope it's helpful to you.

And, enjoy your bloomscrolling, everyone!

THAT’S A WRAP!

And it was another good day here at Potentially Focused!

We figured out how our old bad bosses might still be impacting us years later and how to change our life algorithm.

Plus, we shared some interesting information on Kanopy's new originals and thanks again to Samantha Charlip for a great TED Talk recommendation!

We'll be back in two short days with more useful information just for you. Until then, be well, have some fun, and ALWAYS believe in yourself!

Please let us know what you want more or less of. Please feel free to share information you’d like me to pass along to our readers. Also, always happy to feature guest contributors.

Potentially Focused is a newsletter for busy people in the TV business (or not) who are curious. Everyone looking for a change. Anyone interested in new possibilities and potential. As much as you love it, working in TV can be hard. Never more so than right now. People in our business need support and need to focus not only on their careers but on personal growth, which often takes a back seat. That's why we're here. Each edition shares at least one great piece of content on professional development and one centered on personal growth. It's practical information right at your fingertips.

And of course, please like, subscribe, and share.

Much appreciated,

Marco