The Poet-Killer Mindset

Written by Editor in Chief, Pick The Brain - 10 Comments
Categories: psychology

Not long ago a reader emailed me with the following question:

I have a goal and I am working towards it. But, I am lacking something and I feel that is MIND-SET. Could you guide me to create a strong MIND-SET?

This is a difficult question to answer. The appropriate mindset depends on the situation. In competitive situations, an aggressive mindset is needed to defeat opponents. In cooperative situations the opposite is true — a passive-compliant mindset is necessary to put group needs first.

These opposing mindsets are the reason that strengths often double as weaknesses. A person’s competitive fire might lead to her best work, but it can also make her difficult to collaborate with.

The ideal mindset constantly adjusts to the present situation. It requires the agility to move across the entire spectrum of mindsets and the intelligence to adopt the correct one at exactly the right time.

For this reader’s situation, the desired mindset is one that will lead to the achievement of a goal. The successful mindset is difficult to define, but I discovered a quote in Ogilvy on Advertising that captures it:

‘Most good copywriters fall into 2 categories. Poets. And killers. Poets see an ad as an end. Killers as a means to an end.’ If you are both killer and poet, you get rich.

This quote describes the ideal copywriter, but the mindset holds for any profession. To understand why, let’s consider both components individually.

A poet is a lover of words. Rather than trying to sell with his writing, the poet is motivated by passion. The creation of an excellent poem is the only desired result. This artistic integrity leads to writing that attracts readers with beauty alone.

The weakness of the poet is that, in pursuit of artistic ends, he can stray towards irrelevance. Writing can be beautiful, but if it doesn’t have a practical purpose, no one will bother to read it. This is why few people read pure poetry.

The weakness of the poet is the strength of the killer. The killer wants results — persuasion, sales, or an increase in readership. To the killer, writing is a means to an end. The killer’s weakness is that, in pursuit of an end, he can appear untrustworthy. Without discretion, a killer’s self-serving tactics turn readers away.

The poet-killer mindset combines the artistry of the poet with the practicality of the killer. When beautiful work is used for a strategic purpose, the result is irresistible.

To create the poet-killer mindset in yourself, it’s important to consider two things.

  1. Do work you love. You’ll never be a poet if you don’t have passion. If you secretly despise your work, you won’t stand a chance against people who eat, sleep, and breath it.
  2. Consider the user. What does the user want and how can you give it to them? It’s easy to get absorbed in personal interests, but that leads to irrelevance. To be a killer, you must deliver value to users at the expense of personal indulgence.

By choosing work that you love and using that passion to deliver value to others, you’ll put yourself in the ideal position to acquire wealth and personal satisfaction.

  • http://blog.potterzot.com/ The Decision Strategist

    Simply awesome post. I was writing about this idea a little while ago, talking about manipulative versus compassionate strategy and the strengths and weakness of each one: http://tinyurl.com/2jda3v.

    This is also a helpful paradigm for looking at the overall direction in my life. I’m pursuing what I want to do, but how to also make it relevant. Once you’ve figured out how to satisfy the poet, how do you satisfy the killer?

  • http://www.pickthebrain.com John Wesley

    The key to satisfying both is finding where the poet’s talents are able to create value for the most people. This usually involves a trade off of artistic integrity for profitability.

    For example, a great writer might love to write serious fiction, but they’re income will be maximized if they appeal to a mass audience by writing bestsellers. It all depends on what income level you desire and how important artistic integrity is.

  • http://www.stephenmartile.com Steve

    John,

    nice description of the poet-killer. I just wrote a poem for my wife since it was our 1 year wedding anniversary on Sept 9. Enjoy,

    Over the years we have grown
    Through thick and thin, you’ve always shown
    Your love is everlasting and so are we
    To eternity, with you and me.

    Love Ya babes… Happy 1 Year!

    I see both the killer and poet qualities in my own writing.

    Poet – I love words and have a passion for powerful writing
    Killer – In this case I had a purpose too; to tell my wife how much I love her

    Stephen Martile
    Personal Development Made Simple
    http://www.stephenmartile.com

  • http://www.pickthebrain.com John Wesley

    Congratulations on your anniversary!

  • George

    John,
    Thanks for your quick response about mind-set. Your post is simple and great. I really love your quotes:
    “By choosing work that you love and using that passion to deliver value to others, you’ll put yourself in the ideal position to acquire wealth and personal satisfaction.”
    I will use this quote in my life to accomplish all my Goals.
    Thanks
    George

  • http://www.pickthebrain.com John Wesley

    Thank you. I’m glad you find the post helpful. You asked a very thought provoking question.

  • http://danielroach.org/blog/a-response-to-poet-killer-mindset/ A Response to “Poet-Killer Mindset” | Daniel Roach.Org

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  • http://mrsmicah.blogspot.com Mrs. Micah

    Thought-provoking. Can the killer ever be satisfied? Perhaps the poet within us becomes satisfied at steps along the way, and the killer makes sure that we never sit down forever.

    Actual poets, though (not just people doing what they love), if you hang out with them much, are often very critical of their own work. Especially the published part, so I’m not sure how satisfied they’d ever be. But they’d probably be excited by having a chance to do something fun and creative!

  • http://cheerfulmonk.com Jean Browman–Cheerful Monk

    I certainly agree with your basic idea, but I don’t think in terms of poets and killers. My philosophy is: “Stay curious and open to life. No matter what happens keep learning and growing. Find what you love to do and find a way to share it with others.”

    I, personally, am more interested in living deeply in the present than in setting goals. But I also like challenges and making a difference in other people’s lives, so it’s been a great trip and has gotten me to a place that blows me away.

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