When the Path Chooses You: Why Some Ideas Demand to Be Realised
THE DRIVE THAT DEFIES LOGIC
I recently came across an article about young AI startup founders in San Francisco. Most were in their twenties and living a life few would imagine—working six or seven days a week, sleeping in their offices, and surviving on prepackaged meals. One founder expressed an idea that left a lasting impression on me: he wasn’t driven by money or a higher mission. He described building a startup as a “burning pain”—something he had to do, no matter the cost.
That intensity reminded me of performance artist Marina Abramović. In an interview, she said art is not a choice—it’s like breathing. You don’t question it, you simply do it because if you don’t, you die. The need to realise an idea becomes so strong that it cannot be ignored. That’s what keeps you going.
This kind of motivation is hard to explain. It goes beyond strategy or purpose. It’s not about impact or recognition, but about making an idea real—because not doing it would be unbearable.
BEYOND DATA: THE HUMAN ELEMENT
In a world increasingly driven by data, it’s easy to forget that not all important decisions are rational or measurable. Yet, we’ve built museums for people who ignored data and followed something deeper.
Van Gogh lived in poverty and continued to paint, even during his time in a psychiatric hospital. He died unrecognised, but his colours still speak to millions. If he had followed the data, he would’ve stopped.
There are times when we choose a path—and times when the path chooses us. And when it does, reason may not matter. Data may become irrelevant. What counts is the feeling that something must be done, even without knowing where it will lead.
Lately, I’ve felt a version of that myself, especially as I’ve returned to my creative practice. It’s too early to say how far it will go, but I understand now why some people say they must create.
I’m not suggesting we should ignore logic, but part of being human is listening to an intuitive pull that machines can’t replicate—a vision that’s uniquely ours to realise.
And when we do, even if we fail, it still matters. Because the act of trying—of giving shape to an idea no one else can see—is a form of meaning in itself, something I explored in my earlier post The Search for Meaning in the Age of AI.
Featured image: Human–Data triptych — self-portrait with light projection by Ana M Pop, Kufstein, October 2025
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