Philosophical Exploration Drives Character-Centric, Observational Storytelling

Key Quotes

"the end is important and like and in fact like in this this i mean i'm not i'm not co signing on this but i but this was just the philosophy it was that like you know they used light some kind of like color therapy or whatever so that like you remember the death and then like you think of a color and then the color somehow heals or like somehow provides some kind of catharsis so that then the that death is sort of lifted off of you so you're not like still dealing with the fallout from the death or whatever so it's just yeah i mean whether you believe that or not it's just like as a storyteller it makes sense that like you know you're always trying to figure out what is the satisfying ending for your story like what is the conclusion"

Mike White explains that the concept of a satisfying ending is crucial, drawing a parallel between storytelling and the idea that how one "ends" a life, or a story, is significant. He notes that this philosophy, even if not fully endorsed, highlights the storyteller's drive to find a meaningful conclusion.

"I want for my friends and I want for my family and I want for myself a a cushy end like you know like a soft landing like you know like a soft landing I don't want to you know it's like you it's like as you get older and you experience more people dying there's very few deaths that aren't kind of grim or that you know you go through the process of dying is also it's a part you know it's it's it's about loss you lose things along the way"

Mike White expresses a desire for a gentle and peaceful end for himself and his loved ones, contrasting this with the often grim reality of death. He reflects that the process of dying involves loss, which becomes more apparent with age and experience.

"I love the idea of not being too attached to your form that you are this you're part of this protean creation and you're coming into the world in this form but this is not you and that you've been all these other forms you've been a cuban woman or you've been a chinese you know leader or you know what I mean like and so that this self that you have is not intrinsic to yourself you know what I mean where it's like buddhist kind of or whatever it's like a you know it's an eastern sort of philosophy and I think that that is whether it's true it's helpful and I think it's also a way to experience others to see them in this you know that they are you"

Mike White shares his appreciation for the philosophical concept of detaching from one's current form, suggesting it's a helpful perspective, possibly influenced by Eastern philosophies. He finds value in the idea that our current self is not intrinsic and that we have existed in various forms, which can foster empathy by recognizing ourselves in others.

"I feel like I'm like you know my personality and my persona becomes massaged by this job that I have do you know what I mean where I'm there to you treat people nicer than you would normally do well it's just it's just like well you yeah knowing which people are sensitive and you need to be gentle here which people need to be challenged and that's true in life though that's how we treat the people around us yeah yeah yeah it's just it's like a part of me you know you go you do like is this is this how does that end up affecting my myself by being always thinking about people through that prism"

Mike White reflects on how his role as a creator influences his persona, suggesting that the job necessitates a more nuanced approach to interacting with people. He notes that understanding individual sensitivities and knowing when to be gentle or challenging is a skill honed through his work, though he questions how this constant prism of interaction affects his own self.

"I've learned from everybody and I've learned from even things that were yeah from failures and and like you know I talk about Judd doing Freaks and Geeks and he was had this you know he was a very he's a very anal expulsive like just throw the shit on the wall you know and see what sticks and like and is not precious about it he and in a way he workshops everything he goes through the process like a studio almost where you know he watches what people like and what you know and so he's canvassing and I was always having this kind of authorial pride of like this was my intention that you know it was always like kind of feeling like I was on defense of any kind of influence or some you know like I was always like more rigid"

Mike White discusses learning from failures and from collaborators like Judd Apatow, contrasting Apatow's "throw it at the wall" approach with his own initial authorial pride. He explains that Apatow's method of workshopping and being open to influence, rather than being defensive about his original intentions, was a valuable lesson for him.