Key Moments
Elon Musk On Fear
Y CombinatorKey Moments
Elon Musk feels fear strongly but believes its importance can drive action, and fatalism helps reduce it.
Key Insights
Elon Musk feels fear strongly, asserting it's a normal reaction to important endeavors.
He uses 'fatalism' by accepting probabilities, which diminishes fear.
Musk believed the odds of success for SpaceX were "less than 10%" and for Tesla were "extremely low."
He would accept losing everything but felt progress was worth the risk, even if he died.
He encourages people to act in spite of fear if they believe strongly enough in something.
Fear is a normal and strong emotion
Contrary to the public perception of being fearless, Elon Musk states that he actually feels fear quite strongly. He emphasizes that the absence of fear would indicate something mentally wrong, suggesting that experiencing fear is a normal and even healthy response to significant challenges. This acknowledgment serves as a foundation for his philosophy of action, implying that fear itself is not the obstacle but rather how one chooses to respond to it. The core of his message is that while fear is present, it doesn't have to be paralyzing. Instead, it can be a signal of the importance of the endeavor at hand.
Let the importance of the goal drive action
Musk's strategy to overcome fear involves focusing on the intrinsic importance of the mission. He suggests that when something is believed in strongly enough, that conviction can serve as a powerful motivator to act, even in the presence of fear. This perspective reframes fear not as a deterrent, but as an indicator of passion and commitment. The advice is to acknowledge the fear, but then to allow the significance of the objective to propel one forward. This internal drive, fueled by belief, is presented as the key to moving past apprehension and taking decisive action, especially when facing daunting odds or widespread skepticism.
Fatalism as a tool to diminish fear
A particularly insightful strategy Musk employs is a degree of fatalism. He explains that by accepting the probabilities associated with a venture, one can significantly reduce the grip of fear. This means coming to terms with the potential negative outcomes, including complete failure. For instance, when starting SpaceX, Musk acknowledged that the odds of success were "less than 10%." He accepted the high likelihood that he would "just lose everything." This realistic appraisal of risk, combined with a willingness to accept the worst-case scenario, paradoxically liberates him to pursue the goal. By preemptively accepting failure as a strong possibility, the fear associated with it loses some of its power, allowing for clearer decision-making and a focus on potential upside, however slim.
Accepting personal loss for potential progress
Musk's fatalistic approach extends to a personal willingness to endure significant loss. He openly admits that he anticipated losing all his money with SpaceX. However, the underlying motivation was the belief that even if he personally failed, some progress could be made. The idea was that if they could "just move the ball forward, even if we died, maybe some other company could pick up the baton and move and keep moving it forward." This highlights a broader perspective where individual success or failure is secondary to the advancement of the overall mission or technology. This altruistic, long-term view of progress, even at personal cost, is a critical component of his drive.
Low probability of success for high-impact ventures
This same mindset was applied to Tesla. Musk also believed the chances of a car company succeeding were "extremely low." These candid admissions underscore a pattern: he doesn't shy away from ventures that have a high probability of failure, provided the potential impact is significant. The focus is not on guaranteed success, but on pursuing important goals despite the odds. This makes his willingness to tackle these challenges all the more remarkable.
Mentioned in This Episode
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Common Questions
Elon Musk acknowledges feeling fear strongly but states that if something is important enough, he acts in spite of the fear. He believes it's normal to feel fear and that the importance of the endeavor should drive action.
Topics
Mentioned in this video
Elon Musk mentions starting SpaceX, believing the odds of success were less than 10%. He accepted the probability of losing everything but felt it was important to try and move the ball forward.
Elon Musk mentions Tesla alongside SpaceX, contemplating the extremely low odds of a car company succeeding and his decision to proceed despite this.
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