Imagine you wake up tomorrow and find a note on your dresser.

It says,

Hello,

We are changing the rules on earth a bit.

From now on, you’re not allowed to tell people what you do for work.

You’re not allowed to tell people about your past accolades or achievements.

No one is allowed to see where you live.

No matter what car you drive, people will see it as a gray 2004 Camry (even if it’s actually a 2024 cherry red BMW).

No matter what brand of clothing or accessories you wear, people will see your garb without the distinctive patterns or logos (even if it’s actually a Louis Vuitton bucket hat).

You can go on vacations but you can’t tell anyone where you went or which hotel you stayed at.

You can take pictures and videos but you can’t show anyone.

You’re not allowed to tell people what book you’re reading.

You can write essays but you can’t publish them.

You can run, but you can’t tell anyone how fast or how far.

You get the idea.

Sincerely,

Aliens

TL;DR you maintain the freedom to continue to do and buy whatever you want. The only thing that changes is your ability to show + tell other people about it.

So, a few questions.

Would you still work at the same job? Would you view money differently? Would your dream house or apartment look the same? Would your dream car be the same? Would your wardrobe change? Would you still go on the same vacations and stay at the same hotels? Would you take pictures and videos of the same things? Would you still read the same books? Would you still write? Would you still run?

Why (or why not)?

What would you spend the following day doing? What would you spend the following month doing? What would you spend the following year doing?

How different are these plans from your current, non-alien-impacted plans for the next day, month, and year?

Why are they different?

I think answering these questions can help us better understand the real reasons behind why we do what we do.

Before going any further, I’ll concede that this is an imperfect thought experiment. Much of what we do has its meaning rooted in social context. It’s nice to be able to share things with people.

I am not a proponent of a world where we can’t share things.

I am, however, a proponent of a world where we do things because they genuinely excite us.

A lot of people spend their time focusing on what they do and how they do it.

Few people ever take the time to understand why they do it.

And as a result, a lot of people spend their lives working towards someone else’s dream.

The “why” can often feel ancillary—like an extraneous detail.

Spoiler alert: it’s not.