Eric Blair knew that he wanted to be a writer since he was 5 years old. At the age of 11, he even got a poem published.
In college at Eton, Blair studied under Aldous Huxley. And tried to write like Huxley.
A few years later, he was immensely inspired by Jack London, and started imitating his style. Blair went so far as to dress like a tramp and live as a pauper in poorer parts of London – so that he could write about the experiences – just as Jack London had done.
Eric Blair wrote a lot. But nothing memorable. His writings made barely a ripple. Just because he wanted to be a writer didn’t make him a good one. Blair was writing like a man who wanted to be heard. Who wanted to sound clever. He kept imitating other giants because he kept chasing the outcome.
But then something happened. Eric Blair started writing under a pseudonym. He became George Orwell. And gave us the classics like “1984” and “Animal Farm.” What switched?
Instead of changing his outcome, he changed his identity.
There Are Two Types of People.
The classic shoe salesman story explains it. Two salesmen go to Africa.
One says: “No one wears shoes, there is no opportunity.”
The other says: “No one wears shoes, there is massive opportunity.”
Same facts. Different lens. It’s the way you look at things that make you a success. One protects his old identity. The other steps into a new one.
That’s the shift Orwell made.
The Spanish civil war happened to Orwell.
In 1936, Orwell went to Spain to fight against the fascists. And he nearly died there. He took a bullet to his throat. But what truly shocked him wasn’t the violence, it was the propaganda.
The local communist media accused Orwell and his colleagues as being fascists themselves! They were declared as a Trotskyist organization and outlawed in Spain. The propaganda erased the truth. Just like that.
Orwell had to flee. But it is this moment that he decided that he must fight against untruth. Against injustice. Show the world how propaganda breeds injustice.
Cognitive dissonance forces change.
Cognitive dissonance happens when action and belief no longer match. When people feel psychological discomfort, most people adjust their behavior to fit their identity.
But a few rise up to the occasion and adjust their identity.
When Orwell who was staunchly against fascism was declared as a fascist himself, he was reborn. As a mission. He would no longer write to be heard or to impress others. He started writing for a bigger purpose: to warn others. To cut through lies. To show how propaganda shapes injustice.
Moving from self importance to a bigger purpose.
When Orwell wanted to be a writer to earn respect, he failed. But when he became a writer for a bigger purpose, he succeeded.
It’s the Buddhist way. A student goes to Buddha and asks “I want happiness.”
Buddha advises:
- Drop the “I” because that’s ego.
- Drop the “want” because that’s craving.
- And what you will be left with is “happiness.”
Orwell had to drop the need to be admired. This became easy when he had something else to anchor to. Something outside himself. His new purpose reshaped his identity.
When Orwell stood for something bigger, he became someone worth listening to.
This is the shift most people miss. They try to change their habits, their discipline, their routine. But never ask what they’re anchoring to. When you find a purpose you can’t walk away from, you stop needing motivation.
So how do you anchor yourself with purpose?
Start by noticing what bothers you. Not what excites you – but what irritates you. You don’t need a grand vision. Just a quiet frustration you can’t ignore.
When you start righting the wrongs, that’s when you stop chasing success. And start attracting it.
Action summary:
- You don’t succeed in chasing outcomes. You succeed by stepping into a new identity – one rooted in purpose.
- Let go of your ego-driven goals. Become someone anchored in a bigger purpose. The outcomes will follow.
- The way to anchor to a purpose is to focus on what irritates you. What is wrong with the world? What is lacking in the world?