Why People Who Watch A Lot Of Movies Subconsciously Hold Themselves Back From Being Successful, According To A Cognitive Scientist
Hollywood might shape your ambition.
Andrei Porzhezhinskii | Shutterstock Movies help shape the way we perceive the world. From childhood, we watch stories on screen that teach us about love, heroism, kindness, and even sadness. These emotions aren’t just fictional; they reflect real life. Seeing them portrayed helps us understand and navigate our own feelings.
Movies also inspire us. A child might watch "The Karate Kid," for example, and want to become the hero in their own lives. But some experts, like cognitive scientist Dr V Ram, said that movies can also kill ambition.
A cognitive scientist explained how watching certain movies can subconsciously get in the way of achieving your goals.
You might be assuming this is simply about wasted time, but your love of movies is messing with your potential on a whole different level. Dr. Ram explained how Hollywood films may be hindering people’s success by imparting certain messages. “For over a century,” he said in a video, “movies have been implanting subtle messages in our minds.” According to him, they often portray success as something negative, while glorifying staying poor.
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Dr. Ram pointed out that wealthy business characters are frequently shown as “cold, greedy, fake, and lonely.” In contrast, the humble protagonists, who aren't focused on money, are depicted as “noble, authentic, real, and having genuine relationships.”
Movies often villainize success and glorify the happy-but-humble trope.
To understand his theory, we can look at the movie "Titanic." Rose is engaged to the wealthy and powerful Cal Hockley, who comes across as arrogant and superficial. Jack Dawson, in contrast, is a poor artist who is free-spirited, loving, and spontaneous. His poverty seems irrelevant compared to his authenticity, which is exactly what Rose longs for.
“To make matters worse,” Dr. Ram explained, “in many movies, the final choice for the main character is between material success and true happiness, as if you can’t have both.”
"La La Land" perfectly illustrates this point. In the end, Mia and Sebastian must decide whether to stay together or pursue their individual dreams. Mia, an aspiring actress, chooses to leave Los Angeles to chase a film opportunity in Paris, while Sebastian remains in the city to open his dream jazz club.
And not to go lowbrow, but there isn't one Hallmark holiday movie that doesn't make a villain out of the big city mogul who wants to destroy the small town locals who are always trying to impart the moral that happiness can only be achieved when you let go of chasing success.
While the scientist makes a really good point, movies also have the potential to inspire.
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Dr. Ram's point does make sense. Movies often suggest that you can only be successful or happy, not both. But that's not the standard. Many films also inspire people to thrive, chase their dreams and achieve financial well-being.
Take "The Pursuit of Happyness," for example. It tells the story of a father facing homelessness with his young son, who manages to escape poverty by earning a job as a successful stockbroker through hard work and perseverance. What makes this story even more powerful? Research has shown that the movie had a positive impact on viewers.
The study found that the inspirational tone of the film improved college students’ problem-solving skills. After watching the movie, students are more likely to adopt mature coping strategies, like seeking help, rather than immature ones such as retreating from challenges.
This doesn’t fully contradict Dr. Ram’s point. He acknowledged that movies where characters must choose between success and happiness can influence “how we feel about ambition, wealth, and growth.” So he agreed it can affect our ambition, just often in a negative way. To close his video, he said, “It’s just a story. You get to write your own ending.”
And he’s right. We get to decide how we want to live and act to make it work for ourselves. Sure, some movies may suggest that success comes at the cost of happiness, but that’s not true of all films. Plenty show that happiness and success can go hand in hand. So don’t be afraid to watch stories about success. They might just inspire you.
Matt Machado is a writer studying journalism at the University of Central Florida. He covers relationships, psychology, celebrities, pop culture, and human interest topics.
