Ali made a reacting to mean comments video and our comments are prominently featured.
Ali mentions self reflection, ayahuasca retreats, and more as a defense but.... from someone else who has been there I think in this video it is clear that there is so much spiritual growth left to do. I didn't find much meaningful engagement with what we were saying. I don't think Ali is superficial but it is clear he is more dissociated than he realizes he is.
I haven't seen Ali's videos in awhile so I looked back and did see some drift toward more mainstream wellness content so I think things are setting in, and of course it takes time for our brain to rewire toward the wholeness it is missing. I wish I could have a private conversation with him because my sense is that there is some rewiring that is happening that is simultaneously being stifled by the past ideological frameworks he promoted (and in many cases still promotes). Not from a condescending pov, but as someone who has broken free of the shackles of hustle culture and who finally feels like a life full of meaning is actually happening. I finally have a career I love, feel like a whole person rather than a content farm, and feel safe. Truly safe. I had mentors push me in that direction too and I bet there is more underneath the surface he isn't sharing (nor does he have to, as long as he no longer keeps promoting toxic frameworks for living).
I really hope you find the peace you deserve as a human being Ali and are able to break out of this cage you have put yourself in. It will take time but remember that we are dynamic human beings and that change is a beautiful thing. One essential part of change is accountability, and that is missing in this video. I hope you are able to reflect back on how the content you are growing your business on /does/ promote hustle culture, how this is a mindset that really hurts our humanity that you have promoted (but also been trapped by) and one day can apologize for having pushed it so hard without being defensive.
Accountability can sound like a scary word, like punishment. But it can be a beautiful thing and I hope you are able to find a way to make it a part of your growth process.
Also as a side note, I really don't feel like valid critiques on ideology are "mean." I don't critique his appearance or who he fundamentally is as a person. I critique the information he puts out into the world that influences people to do things that can harm them. For example my previous critique of him as a clout chaser when that IS the content he is putting out in the world... a promotion of going after metrics, wealth, etc while masking it under "doing what you love." It is interesting how the comment I wrote was used as a springboard to field critiques about the anime video (and strawmanning even that discussion - it is not about watching it at 4X speed, it is about the fact that you do not promote slowing down and just enjoying life and art as it is meant to be enjoyed without having it fit into a strange productivity framework), while skipping over the critique that he is regurgitating content that has been mainstream discourse for years now with not much addition. I still love
@Hasanah123's comment about how his productivity is only for the privileged, and still see no interaction with that reality. I think deconstructing what was actually mean vs a valid reaction to content is another place to do some self-reflection around when undergoing some more sweet ego death.
I'll end it on a positive note. I am happy to see growth and really, your youtube videos are extremely aesthetically pleasing. I wish I could watch them. Maybe one day.