My Son Thinks He Needs a Personal Brand.

I told him it might destroy him. A deep dive.

My college-age son told me:

“If I don’t build a strong brand, I’ll never get a job… or a wife… or a record contract.”

He’s not wrong.

But he’s also not right.

In this reflection, I share what I told him — and why I believe the modern pressure to construct your identity is spiritually and psychologically devastating.

Science says self-forgetfulness brings joy.
Eastern religion says ego causes suffering.
Christianity says something even better:

You don’t have to build yourself.
You are received.

If you’re tired of performing your existence, this video essay might feel like oxygen.

If you’d like Jesus more if so many of His friends weren’t jerks, this stack is for you.