The 'XYZ changed my life' fallacy
I don’t know about you, but every time I open YouTube these days, there's at least one video per thumb scroll claiming that this one technique/tool/routine/whatever will change my life.
A couple of years ago, I used to open and genuinely watch those videos with passion and hope. In my defense, back then, titles like that were rare and felt almost sincere. But I digress.
Now, I just cringe. Every time I scroll past one of those videos, I feel insulted. At some point, I even started blacklisting entire channels without giving their content a chance. Maybe I'm missing some gold, but honestly, I don't care anymore. Life is too short to sift through mediocrity hoping to strike something real. The ROI doesn't add up.
And that's the thing. Sure, those "best practices" might work for vanity metrics, but let's be honest - it's spitting in the face of people who prefer to use their brains for a second or two before clicking.
While we're on the topic, let's talk about the "XYZ changed my life" clickbait. It's not just annoying. It's harmful, especially if you're the kind of person who tends to believe in such claims.
It's easy to say that, for example, working out changed everything for you. And maybe it did. But claims like that always carry a hidden implication: that there's one right way, one magical thing that fixes it all. That’s a lie, and deep down, those that preach it, know it.
The truth is actually the opposite: everything else changed so that XYZ could start changing you.
To reap the benefits of going to the gym, you first had to change a bunch of other things. Waking up earlier, eating better, cutting sugar, and convincing yourself that moving your body matters. In an abstract way, you rewired your brain before the gym ever made a difference.
So no, it's not that sport changed your life. It's that your life changed, and then sport could finally matter.
Does that make sense? I hope so.
Call me Mr. Obvious, but please, don't fall for clickbait. Think for yourself. Behind every success story is a messy system with lots of moving parts, feedback loops, and hidden context. It's never just "XYZ changed my life."
Things take time, effort, willpower, wisdom, knowledge, trial and error, a lot of back and forth, and yes, a bit of luck. Many things have to click before anything starts working.
So next time you see that kind of video, pause for a second. Ask yourself what really changed.
Because it’s never just XYZ.