Before you get angry and start defending your favorite team or wrestler, answer this one question honestly: Are you able to pay your bills just because you’re watching IPL or WWE?
The reality is that these organizations don’t care about you. To them, you are just a number in the viewer count on a screen. I’m not a "hater," and I don’t think entertainment is inherently bad. But there is a massive difference between admiring someone’s hard work and mindlessly consuming their success while your own life stands still.
The PR Channel Trap
Most fans behave like a "Walking PR Channel." They spend hours:
Promoting a celebrity’s achievements.
Arguing about who is "the greatest."
Tracking upcoming events and matches.
While you are busy talking about Virat Kohli’s centuries or Brock Lesnar’s strength, they are getting paid. You are not. You are simply using your energy to boost their charisma and their bank accounts.
The True Definition of a Fan
If I say I am a fan of someone, it’s not because I watch every movie or match they produce. It’s because I admire their qualities.
A true fan doesn’t just watch the position; they install the qualities.
If you admire a cricketer, don't just watch him play—adopt his discipline and hard work.
If you admire a charismatic actor, learn how they speak and carry themselves.
Don't just be a spectator of greatness; become the student of the hard work that created it.
Inbound vs. Outbound Entertainment
There are two ways to spend your leisure time, and one is significantly more valuable than the other:
Outbound Entertainment: Sitting on a couch watching others win (IPL, WWE, Movies). You have zero "skin in the game." You get a dopamine hit, but your physical and mental state remains stagnant.
Inbound Entertainment: Activities where you are the participant (playing a sport, playing a video game, building a project).
The Advantage: You get the same dopamine hit, but you also gain physical fitness or mental stimulation. You have a "stake on the table."
The "Treat" Protocol
If you are financially independent and your bills are paid, treat mindless consumption as a reward. I personally play video games, but only as an achievement. If I complete 100% of my to-do list for the day, I allow myself that treat. Over the last 15 days, I’ve only played once because that was the only day I truly earned it.
If you aren't paying your bills yet, you don't have the luxury of mindless consumption. You are wasting the most valuable resource you have: your human potential.
Are you acting as a fan or as a PR agent? If you stopped talking about other people's achievements today, what would you have left to say about your own?