The Examined Life How do you get off the hedonic treadmill? [Geraldine DeRuiter]
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Jun 13, 2024 Author Geraldine DeRuiter discusses the limitations of external achievements in resolving insecurities, impact of childhood experiences on adult drives, transformative power of vulnerability, and importance of recognizing moments of success. The conversation delves into navigating ambition, achieving goals, financial aspects of book publishing, and journey to discovering intrinsic happiness.
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Lifelong Dream
- Geraldine DeRuiter's lifelong dream was to become a published author, evident from a letter she wrote to her future self in fourth grade.
- The letter expressed her hope to have finished a novel or at least a rough draft by sixth grade.
Shifting Motivation
- DeRuiter maintained her drive throughout high school, excelling academically and participating in numerous extracurricular activities.
- However, upon reaching college and securing a scholarship, she began questioning the purpose of her relentless pursuit.
The High of the Deal
- For DeRuiter, the peak of publishing her first book wasn't the launch but receiving the book deal itself.
- This was a significant moment because she sold the book with a near-complete manuscript, atypical for non-fiction.