Marc Andreessen argues that introspection and therapy matter less than physical fitness and forward momentum. He cites Elon Musk calling his life a "tortured existence" to show that success doesn't guarantee fulfillment, countering the claim that therapy is essential for a well-lived life.
I found people who dwell on the past get stuck in the past. You don't have any levels of introspection? Yes, zero. As little as possible. Why?
Move forward. Go. Elon Musk, the richest person in the world, has literally said that his life is a tortured existence. To me, that's not success. I've never once met someone who's been in therapy for years and thought they really have their stuff together. But I've met many people who've turned their lives around by becoming supremely fit. Some of the people I know who've been in therapy for 10, 20 years, they treat therapy as the end, not the means to the end. They they love their therapy, but they're in the same exact spot they were before.
My take is that introspection is the single most important quality to a life well-lived, and therapy by extension is a form of introspection. It's an introspection with a qualified licensed person who's helping you do that introspection.
Talk therapy with a great therapist is a great way to get the insights you need and the tools you need, but guess what? Then you got to go do the work. When the therapy itself becomes the identity, that's a huge problem. Elon Musk, the richest richest person in the world has literally said that his life is a tortured existence. So to me, that's not success.
