I’m 21 years old and from _____________. I discovered your channel about 10 months ago via the video “Ashley Elise: it's shallow and it's deep at the same damn time.” (I had searched her name, only to discover that her channel was gone) and I’ve been watching you ever since.
You have changed my life in many ways. I quit video games, started studying politics, history, languages. You are the only positive (active) influence to live like an intellectual that I have. I’ve read Future of an Illusion and I started No More Manifestos the other day. […]
[I mention that Ashley Elise actually wrote to me, requesting that I delete my video(s) about her. He says in reply:]
I can see why she might have wanted it to be deleted. Your video really exposed the shallowness of her thinking about Tinder/sex/relationships, and her pandering. I remember being maybe ~16-17 when I first discovered her channel and thinking “Oh yeah, this is good stuff! She’s really sticking it to the shallow women who won’t give guys a chance.”, but when I watched your video criticizing her, I immediately recognized how stupid I had been.
Your channel has been like a secret weapon in my “arsenal”. You’ve tackled so many false idols and taught me so much.
I’ve tried to show your stuff to my friends, especially the videos about quitting video games, and I haven’t had a single positive outcome from it (upon reading that, you might be thinking “think of how I (Eisel) feel”).
I’ve matured so much through listening to you talk about “real” topics, even if it’s just about nothing in particular. For me, the biggest thing I feel I’ve gained is a change in attitude (maybe “attitudinal learning”, but I don’t know if I’m using that correctly).
[…]
Your videos have led me to try to be critical about the concept of “required reading”, but I still sometimes feel pressured to read certain “highly regarded/foundational/important/insert any vague praise” books/authors.
Future of an Illusion, to a great extent, ruined a lot of other books for me. I had never read anything so well written, and haven’t since. I don’t know how much of this feeling is caused by me having been your fan BEFORE reading it, and having been excited to read it, but every page had unique ideas that I had never heard ever mentioned anywhere, and that I couldn’t even IMAGINE being mentioned (some of which (e.g. pet ownership, university education) I mentioned to my grandparents, who had completely negative, typical reactions).
As for Japan, I’m ashamed to admit that all I have to offer is my sympathy, which I’m sure, to you, is worth less than nothing at this point. [Hey, it's worth MORE THAN NOTHING!!! —E.M.]
[…] I can’t help you (or don’t know how) in the next chapter of your life. I don’t know anything about moving to other countries or about university programs. […] Thank you for all you’ve done for me.
