The 'Sam Hyde' Lifestyle- Rediscovering Practicality

[Ixion_SEROV]

This is going to be a long one. Grab a beverage, preferably one with Rum or Gin/Cognac.

It should come as no surprise that I would eventually have to make a subject about the oddly-ubiquitous man known as Sam Hyde; native Rhode Islander with a penchant for bizarre comedy and interesting takes on many cerebral subjects such as growth, mental health, and how to "make it" in this desolate post-modern hellscape we call 'the world.' Equal parts enigma and simpleton served on the rocks and garnished with a slice of Y2K Adult Swim humor, I've honestly struggled with the thought of 'pinning him down' until I just came to accept one sad fact; it's not possible for someone like me.

As a 'recovering academic,' I have slowly had to come to terms with the idea that too much nuance can be deadly when trying to find one's way in life. It burdens your mind with a multitude of little senseless concepts that ultimately amount to nothing and leaves you in a sea of self-doubt. It should be no wonder that when I first came across Sam Hyde at the turn of the 2010's, I had almost no idea how to digest his content or his personality. Everything about him seemed incredibly raw and enticing, but in a way that I couldn't describe at the time. My brain was partially fried by the University Lifestyle in which nothing was concrete and directness was seen as boorish and crude. I felt like I had become subjugate to a world where nothing made sense and more cerebral characters like Sam were seen as outlandish and uncouth. Despite this, I realized very quickly that I was not where I should be. I needed to exit the unending loop of academic monotony and return to the real world where things made sense, causes were true, and I could make plans that didn't involve some alien ideology that had become fashionable or trendy.

Fastforward to now where I've managed to do away with the insane detachment that academia brings. I'm "back to normal" living in the world of practicality, and for the first time in over a decade, I am able to at last understand a part of Sam Hyde's conceptual approach. I have several friends and acquaintances who love his content with all the insanity it brings, but there are many aspects of it that I feel are a bridge too far for humor. I'm no "Hydeologist," but I do recall Sam having several gigs with Adult Swim at one point and even connecting with Tim Heidecker and Eric Andre- other Millennial content creators who managed to make something humorous out of this post-modern hellscape that surrounds us. I know that at some point, Sam lost his contract with Adult Swim and turned to podcasting where he resides today, often appearing with Nick Rochefort as a supporter to have some of the most bizarre conversations that ever existed. I must confess that I laugh moreso at Nick's quips than Sam's. I see Nick as someone who understands the daily grind and finds humor in the everyman struggle, and it's truly quite sobering.

Sam however remains a bit more 'far-out' to me. There are several snippets one can find of him across Youtube or Bitchute where his stylistic approach is very much rooted in the Adult Swim of the late 2000's. I can only describe it as 'severely awkward,' and as a man who despises sarcasm yet loves irony, it's a bitter pill to swallow. I moreso love Sam's philosophical takes on concepts like self-improvement, friendship, and how your time should be spent. For years, I wondered how one could be so different from myself with his humor and appearance yet arrive at the same conclusion he did, and ultimately it got me thinking about the greatest plight of the Millennial Generation. For those who are either older or younger than 'my people'- the Millennials- I welcome your obtuse criticisms. We are the 'wasteful boomers' to those who are younger and the 'throwaways' to those who are older. We come across as pedantic, offputting, and misdirected, acting as entitled as the Boomers do while having only 1/20th of the wealth. We were the 'transitional generation'- being raised for what came before and inheriting none of what came after. Some of us maybe got lucky in the 11th hour with some quality gig or career, but most did not. It is this portrait of a 'fractured tribe' that Sam Hyde captures best.

On the outset, I must admit that I saw Sam's sense of humor as 'gross.' It was dated without being charming, energetic without being productive, and nostalgic without being sentimental. It's like a McDonald's drivethrough or gas station pizza that just barely makes the cut. It's food, but something about it just makes you feel 'wrong.' Like you settled. I know Sam puts effort into his content and there are those who will avidly defend his more humorous side, but it's something that I still hunt for the appeal of to this day- WHY do they like it.

But this whole spiel is me moreso coming to terms with some aspects about him that are both sobering and inspiring. When you divorce him from the smorgasbord that is 'Million Dollar Extreme,' you wind up with a panoply of advice that can assist the ailing Millennial in centering themselves. Mind you, I am saying this as someone who- for many years- saw Sam as a meme at best and a grifter at worst.

Ultimately, his capacity to put the post-modern condition into layman's terms granted me something that years in the university system could not; a value for the quantifiable. I'm not here to praise him as a self-help guru, but rather to highlight something which many of my generation were stripped of because of our parentage, our geopolitical upbringing, and the technology of our time. We were the ones who were raised to go to college because our parents simply said it was the best thing to do. We were told that a firm handshake would win us a job when all the factories were being closed and offshored to China, Brunei, and Malaysia. We were the ones who spent 20 years in the shadow of Middle-Eastern forever-wars and languished beneath two decades of propaganda. And yet among all of this, there are those bizarre characters who show that one can still escape and find the proverbial fire escape ladder.

Perhaps I'll never truly understand everything about Sam, and to be honest, it doesn't matter either way. What is worth knowing is his ability to dig down into the framework of the 'Millennial Failure' and rip out the wiring. To knock down the drywall that built us up into the mismatched image that we are today. To allow one to be the self-reflective therapist that gauges onesself to ask "Where did it all go wrong?"

What I can say is that his approach to 'efficient practicality' is praiseworthy. Necessary. Vital to any Millennial who is still languishing beneath the chains of self-doubt and hopelessness and is hoping to see the forest for the trees. Know that time- not money- is the most valuable resource you possess, that having no help is worse than having bad help, and to count your blessings when you have them. It's almost a religious revelation when one thinks about it- the thought that minimizing liabilities is as valuable as maximizing gains- but there's always more to do in this fractures world of ours.

Sam's capacity to adapt and recover are what made me wonder why so many other Millennials refuse to continue towards a brighter tomorrow. Maybe so many of us have given up and resided ourselves to our fates? Maybe we are content to be the forgotten old souls who melt into the backgrounds? Maybe I'm just being too histrionic and am just as detached as the rest of my generation. Either way, this has been a long piece and I feel like I've kept you for too long.

As Sam Hyde would say, "Think with your head."

 

[SomaSpice]

If you think about it, most of his advice can be reduced to "Get ahold of the basics, then build up from there", and "Everything you do will be measured through the effect it has on other people". Like, make sure you have a source of income so you can live in a decent and independent manner, and have a circle of people you trust and socialize with irl so you don't become a weirdo. From then try to work on your dreams, but don't go for strange, abstract ideals.

In terms of art this would mean one should strive to become skilled instead of new and avant-garde, that way you will be able to make something enjoyable or beautiful, and people will classify it as good. In terms of business that'd mean to do something that provides a helpful service to someone, instead of being a hustler or silicon-vally type idealist.

 

[zalaz alaza]

sams a rhode island boomer that doesnt like seafood, has a crotch rocket, and covets the toyota supra. nuff said

 

[Deleted member 3981]

This is going to be a long one. Grab a beverage, preferably one with Rum or Gin/Cognac.

It should come as no surprise that I would eventually have to make a subject about the oddly-ubiquitous man known as Sam Hyde; native Rhode Islander with a penchant for bizarre comedy and interesting takes on many cerebral subjects such as growth, mental health, and how to "make it" in this desolate post-modern hellscape we call 'the world.' Equal parts enigma and simpleton served on the rocks and garnished with a slice of Y2K Adult Swim humor, I've honestly struggled with the thought of 'pinning him down' until I just came to accept one sad fact; it's not possible for someone like me.

As a 'recovering academic,' I have slowly had to come to terms with the idea that too much nuance can be deadly when trying to find one's way in life. It burdens your mind with a multitude of little senseless concepts that ultimately amount to nothing and leaves you in a sea of self-doubt. It should be no wonder that when I first came across Sam Hyde at the turn of the 2010's, I had almost no idea how to digest his content or his personality. Everything about him seemed incredibly raw and enticing, but in a way that I couldn't describe at the time. My brain was partially fried by the University Lifestyle in which nothing was concrete and directness was seen as boorish and crude. I felt like I had become subjugate to a world where nothing made sense and more cerebral characters like Sam were seen as outlandish and uncouth. Despite this, I realized very quickly that I was not where I should be. I needed to exit the unending loop of academic monotony and return to the real world where things made sense, causes were true, and I could make plans that didn't involve some alien ideology that had become fashionable or trendy.

Fastforward to now where I've managed to do away with the insane detachment that academia brings. I'm "back to normal" living in the world of practicality, and for the first time in over a decade, I am able to at last understand a part of Sam Hyde's conceptual approach. I have several friends and acquaintances who love his content with all the insanity it brings, but there are many aspects of it that I feel are a bridge too far for humor. I'm no "Hydeologist," but I do recall Sam having several gigs with Adult Swim at one point and even connecting with Tim Heidecker and Eric Andre- other Millennial content creators who managed to make something humorous out of this post-modern hellscape that surrounds us. I know that at some point, Sam lost his contract with Adult Swim and turned to podcasting where he resides today, often appearing with Nick Rochefort as a supporter to have some of the most bizarre conversations that ever existed. I must confess that I laugh moreso at Nick's quips than Sam's. I see Nick as someone who understands the daily grind and finds humor in the everyman struggle, and it's truly quite sobering.

Sam however remains a bit more 'far-out' to me. There are several snippets one can find of him across Youtube or Bitchute where his stylistic approach is very much rooted in the Adult Swim of the late 2000's. I can only describe it as 'severely awkward,' and as a man who despises sarcasm yet loves irony, it's a bitter pill to swallow. I moreso love Sam's philosophical takes on concepts like self-improvement, friendship, and how your time should be spent. For years, I wondered how one could be so different from myself with his humor and appearance yet arrive at the same conclusion he did, and ultimately it got me thinking about the greatest plight of the Millennial Generation. For those who are either older or younger than 'my people'- the Millennials- I welcome your obtuse criticisms. We are the 'wasteful boomers' to those who are younger and the 'throwaways' to those who are older. We come across as pedantic, offputting, and misdirected, acting as entitled as the Boomers do while having only 1/20th of the wealth. We were the 'transitional generation'- being raised for what came before and inheriting none of what came after. Some of us maybe got lucky in the 11th hour with some quality gig or career, but most did not. It is this portrait of a 'fractured tribe' that Sam Hyde captures best.

On the outset, I must admit that I saw Sam's sense of humor as 'gross.' It was dated without being charming, energetic without being productive, and nostalgic without being sentimental. It's like a McDonald's drivethrough or gas station pizza that just barely makes the cut. It's food, but something about it just makes you feel 'wrong.' Like you settled. I know Sam puts effort into his content and there are those who will avidly defend his more humorous side, but it's something that I still hunt for the appeal of to this day- WHY do they like it.

But this whole spiel is me moreso coming to terms with some aspects about him that are both sobering and inspiring. When you divorce him from the smorgasbord that is 'Million Dollar Extreme,' you wind up with a panoply of advice that can assist the ailing Millennial in centering themselves. Mind you, I am saying this as someone who- for many years- saw Sam as a meme at best and a grifter at worst.

Ultimately, his capacity to put the post-modern condition into layman's terms granted me something that years in the university system could not; a value for the quantifiable. I'm not here to praise him as a self-help guru, but rather to highlight something which many of my generation were stripped of because of our parentage, our geopolitical upbringing, and the technology of our time. We were the ones who were raised to go to college because our parents simply said it was the best thing to do. We were told that a firm handshake would win us a job when all the factories were being closed and offshored to China, Brunei, and Malaysia. We were the ones who spent 20 years in the shadow of Middle-Eastern forever-wars and languished beneath two decades of propaganda. And yet among all of this, there are those bizarre characters who show that one can still escape and find the proverbial fire escape ladder.

Perhaps I'll never truly understand everything about Sam, and to be honest, it doesn't matter either way. What is worth knowing is his ability to dig down into the framework of the 'Millennial Failure' and rip out the wiring. To knock down the drywall that built us up into the mismatched image that we are today. To allow one to be the self-reflective therapist that gauges onesself to ask "Where did it all go wrong?"

What I can say is that his approach to 'efficient practicality' is praiseworthy. Necessary. Vital to any Millennial who is still languishing beneath the chains of self-doubt and hopelessness and is hoping to see the forest for the trees. Know that time- not money- is the most valuable resource you possess, that having no help is worse than having bad help, and to count your blessings when you have them. It's almost a religious revelation when one thinks about it- the thought that minimizing liabilities is as valuable as maximizing gains- but there's always more to do in this fractures world of ours.

Sam's capacity to adapt and recover are what made me wonder why so many other Millennials refuse to continue towards a brighter tomorrow. Maybe so many of us have given up and resided ourselves to our fates? Maybe we are content to be the forgotten old souls who melt into the backgrounds? Maybe I'm just being too histrionic and am just as detached as the rest of my generation. Either way, this has been a long piece and I feel like I've kept you for too long.

As Sam Hyde would say, "Think with your head."

Sam's a complete enigma to me. He's the kind of person that can never be sincere, always shaping his persona to be as reactionary as possible. It's better not to take everything he says seriously, because every nugget of wisdom could also be a ploy to make you feel special and to keep sending him bitcoins.

He's only looking after himself in the end, so don't think of him as anything admirable, just as some coked-out comedian with occasional hot takes.

 

[Masonna]

He's a carny.

 

[vale-aroma]

It's good advice, but hard to take seriously because of how "do as I say, not as I do" it is. Yea, of course, work hard and go to trade school, don't let people drag you down. But don't tell me this with a straight face when you're Sam Hyde - a steroid using degenerate who's rich because of being an internet personality & going into enormous credit card debt to buy bitcoin. Don't get me wrong - I like him for all this. it's got a powerful vibe. But it's just a little bit silly to me for a man like Sam to try and give the sort of life advice he's given, when he's basically done the opposite to get where he is.

 

[Taco Salad]

I recently checked out his Youtube channel and watched most of his videos from the past year. He's philosophically all over the place. In one video he'll be sitting barefoot on his couch sharing far out stoneresque thoughts and talking about how the economy is rigged, working hard isn't worth it, and you need to cheat the system. Then in the next video he'll be dispelling Jordan Peterson/"Get in the grindset bro!" type of advice. I'm not sure if it's a grift, an act for the lolz, or genuine mental instability but he exhibits very little consistency. He's just constantly contradicting himself. I like how he just sort of free associates about whatever is on his mind, but I can't take him seriously when he starts trying to act like a life coach.

 

[7-Eleven Spy]

I can give no opinion on Sam Hyde's philosophy, but this OP has definitely resonated with me. For most of my childhood and on into university, my surroundings have been impermanent. This stems from moving often as a child, never quite having one "home". This mindset continued to university and I found myself being simultaneously frustrated and relieved of the ephemerality of everything. There's no pressure to perform when you know that all of the people you know will likely go in different directions after graduation. Of course, being one of the "always online" kids growing up was also not great for me. Everything on the internet is constantly changing, often times lost in the tides of change.

I used to revel in the changes. The internet was like a constant stream of new and exciting things. How could somebody get bored when they had nigh-unlimited things to ponder? During critical times in life where friend groups were forced to split ways, I often tried to have what I thought was a "positive outlook": who needs those old friends? It'll be tough to keep in touch, and I'll make new ones elsewhere. Eventually, after years of finding comfort in the ever-changing landscape of the internet and slowly watching everyone I know go in separate directions (COVID was possibly the breaking point, yet again during this time most of my friends had moved away), I realized that it truly is impermanence that is the enemy. Those of us that are internet-addicts find themselves constantly barraged with information that will not be relevant a week from now. We create friendships with like-minded people who also find themselves mentally unwell for some unexplainable reason, neither of us truly committing to a lasting friendship. We find ourselves moving from apartment to apartment, never truly having a place to call our own.

This sort of impermanence seems to be where the world is headed, but is it truly feasible that others like me will sit back and accept this? I've looked for solutions in my own life and I would say I am recovering from this mindset. First, I've looked into purchasing a house with land so that I can have an unchanging "home", as well as giving me space to interact with things in the real-world. Things in the real-world change, but these changes will always be tangible. Owning an apartment is fine, but you are severely limited in terms of enacting changes upon your area. Additionally, I think having some sort of partner or family unit really is something that is hard-wired into the human psyche. With a family, you unintentionally want stability. Two people can balance a seesaw easier than one person. Friends are fine, but you cannot save them from being infected by this strange bug of impermanence. Having a partner dedicated to staying with you is key. Both of these things (house and family) are becoming harder and harder to achieve in modern times. When we don't have a bedrock to build upon, what will happen to society? Is it really any wonder that these two things have been such key factors in the development of our society? A lone person revels in change, one who is anchored wants stability. Our actions reflect our minds, do we truly want unstable minds?

 

[WALFTEAM]

he looks like a battletoad with a porn addiction