Conan O'Brien discusses how becoming a parent helped him care less about others' opinions. He focuses on the opinions of his children, freeing him to do better work.
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Quick takeaways
Conan O'Brien's experience as a parent has led him to care less about the opinions of others, realizing that as long as his kids are well, everything else falls into place.
Parenthood narrows down priorities, freeing individuals to do their best work and reducing sensitivity to the opinions of those unrelated to the well-being of their children.
Deep dives
Freedom from Others' Opinions
Conan O'Brien's experience as a parent has led him to care less about the opinions of others. He realized that as long as his kids are well, everything else falls into place. This newfound perspective brings a sense of freedom and allows individuals to focus on what truly matters, being less affected by outside noise and less self-conscious. Having kids may take up more time, but it also means less time spent on irrelevant concerns like online discussions or controversies.
The Advantage of Parental Focus
Contrary to popular belief, having children can enhance creativity and professional growth. Parenthood narrows down priorities, freeing individuals to do their best work. It reduces sensitivity to things that don't matter, such as the opinions of those unrelated to the well-being of their children. With the main concerns being their kids' happiness and upbringing, parents can use this shift to their advantage by being less preoccupied with what others think of their work.
We used to need so much to be happy, as we talked about recently. We needed things to go well. We needed excitement and success. We needed people to like us. We needed people’s approval.
But now? Now, not so much.
Conan O’Brien, who like any performer has some part of him that craves attention and validation, has explained how his insecurity has lessened as he got older and had a family. “Oh as long as they’re alright,” he has said of his kids, then basically everything is right.