Dan, you have to watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hidvElQ0xE

This is what inspired me to finally start writing my game.

I believe the two main ideas are hit upon in the show. First off all follow the doctor or mechanic not because of trust, but authority. The GM has much less authority because he has no degree, no certification. Secondly, we are a very cynical society. Anyone who tries to comand authority by simply say just trust me causes a knee jerk reaction of massive distrust.

@Greg – That’s a really good video. I wish I had known about that prior to making this episode. I definitely would have mentioned it and linked it into the show notes. Thanks for sharing that! I’m going to make sure Wayne sees this as well.

@Nohwear – What you’re saying is 100% correct. I think the part I struggle with is that recurring, positive experience doesn’t seem to engender a sense of trust or, by extension, authority. Even if I don’t have a degree in GMing, I’d hope that years and years of doing it for the same group of people would build some sort of results-oriented trust. But apparently it doesn’t. I guess that’s where the cynical part comes in.

No problem, Dan. Maybe you should e-mail me before each episode, ask me if I have any right-on-topic videos for you ;)

Well, I did the next best thing and reposted it in the forums to make sure people there saw it, too. The insight he gives during that first minute or two is amazing in its simple truth. You love something enough to make it, you’re not very good when you start for lack of practice, and you love it enough to realize you suck. But most people don’t step back and see this process they’re suffering under, so they give up, presuming they lack any potential, instead of sticking with it long enough to get good.

It’s funny, because I can see how I went through that exact process with podcasting. That feedback loop I mentioned in the episode kept me going, but the same self-doubt was there, and I stuck with it until I figured out the artform. Yet I never was objective enough to realize what was occurring or to apply the same solution to any other creative endeavor.

I feel the same way. I had been held back for a long time for that same reason. I thought my work was just poor.

Now I am looking at a nearly 200 page draft. Do I think it is the best work ever? No. Am I proud of it, glad I did it… hell yes. My friends and family are amazed that I have assembled it in just a matter of 3 months. I tell them, it only takes a few hours a day. Creativity is WORK. You have to struggle for it. You have to sacrifice for it. I cut out all the fluff from my life that was just wasting time. TV, video games, etc. Gone. My entertainment is my writing.

Now when it is done I will take a little break, then start right back into the mix again. It is fun and it is worth it. I am not going to look back in 20 years and say, “man, I wish I had played The Force Unleashed.”.

Ira Glass is awesome. Thanks for the link!

@Dan What you have to understand is the difference between trust and authority. With authority there is backing by some higher, secular, power. The big difference for most people is reassurance and protection. If you are duped by trust you are a fool. If you are duped by authority it is not your fault. This is the main and important difference.

I actually listen to this episode since I found out that Chad was not in it. I will keep an eye out for more Chad(less) episodes. Good episode.

Couldnt disagree more, Nohwear. There is way too much faith involved in trusting a “higher secular power”. If you are duped by authority, it IS your fault. You trusted the authority. Despite massive evidence to the contrary about the weaknesses of the authority, you still trust it. Thats what caused our banking crisis, for example. Blind trust in these powerful institutions. Turned out, they were not such geniuses after all.

The same applies to government. Read the Federalist Papers for more thoughts along those lines. The same applies to Academia. Read about the theory of General Relativity for a specific example.

Actually, dont read all that. Just read “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions” by Thomas Kuhn for a detailed explanation of paradigms.

My point is not what you should do but the views of over all society. Authority gives us an excuse to not think or to pass the blame if something goes wrong.

Fair enough. I agree that most people have that flawed thinking :)

Nice post! and the insight he gives during that first minute or two is amazing in its simple truth. You love something enough to make it, you’re not very good when you start for lack of practice, and you love it enough to realize you suck.The insight he gives during that first minute or two is amazing in its simple truth. You love something enough to make it, you’re not very good when you start for lack of practice, and you love it enough to realize you suck.But i like this post and thanks for this.

Why don’t players trust their GMs more?

In Dan’s set up he talked about mechanics and doctors etc and compared them to a GM. Most people don’t have the medical knowledge to treat themselves or the mechanical knowledge to fix their own car so they turn to a trusted expert. However, most gamers considers themselves an ‘expert’ in gaming so they feel more comfortable disregarding the advice of a GM – why listen to the GM when he’s no bigger an expert than me?

I agree with the larger point – players (and GMs) should be more open to trying out new and different games.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaf_by_Niggle

Leaf by Niggle is a short story by J. R. R. Tolkein and is interesting because part of it is about a painter that can never finish his work because he wants the painting to be perfect while at the same time, life distracts him with events mundane and sublime. It fits in with why some people can never finish their creative project.