How to Give Up Everything to Save Yourself (ft. Matt from Yes Theory)

In 2021, Matt from Yes Theory, one of YouTube's biggest channels, revealed he was quitting the platform.Despite being an internet celebrity, Matt's story is a common one—about someone who gave away too much of themselves to be liked by others, and now desperately trying to get themselves back. In this episode, Matt and I unpack this familiar dilemma, as well as covering topics like codependence, managing success, dealing with parasocial relationships, determining when vulnerability goes too far, and much more. CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:59 Why Matt’s giving up his dream 00:09:00 The challenges fame brings 00:14:14 How to mature in the spotlight 00:17:45 The incredible story of Yes Theory 00:21:53 Losing boundaries in the world of fame 00:26:54 Performing, not living 00:27:58 How much of yourself to share as a creator 00:35:44 Matt’s top tip for being a creator 00:37:29 Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation in creative work 00:43:52 Matt’s biggest takeaway from his career 00:48:06 How Matt went from hating to loving his book 00:51:56 What makes the Yes Theory team work 00:53:54 What’s next for Matt 00:57:28 Fuck, Marry, Kill ⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://markmanson.net/breakthrough⁩⁠⁠⁠ ⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at ⁠⁠⁠⁨https://bit.ly/4w46FMH⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW MARK Mark's IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/markmanson⁠ Solved IG: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/markmanson⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson