I finally outgrew the character that made my career | Jaleel White

We created this video in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators. Become a Big Think member to unlock expert classes, premium print issues, exclusive events and more: https://bigthink.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=yt_desc Subscribe to Big Think on YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvQECJukTDE2i6aCoMnS-Vg?sub_confirmation=1 From 50 commercials as a kid to nine seasons as one of the most recognizable characters on television, Jaleel White has always performed for an audience. Growing up on set, he learned that giving people what they wanted got you somewhere. So he kept doing it — with fans, with his mother, with anyone who had an expectation of him. After Family Matters ended, the work slowed and the identity he had built around it started to crack. He spent years as a single father taking whatever roles came. Now, looking back, he understands how much of his life he spent performing a version of himself, and what it finally took to feel like the real one. As humans, we’re shaped by our genetics, as well as our life experiences. They influence how we see the world — and how we engage with the people around us. That unique lens is called a Perception Box™, and each of us lives inside our own. We can’t escape it. But we can expand it by questioning assumptions and challenging our perceptions. At Big Think, we’ve partnered with Unlikely Collaborators to ask better questions. Perception Box™ is a content series grounded in science that explores what becomes possible when we let go of our limiting beliefs and open our minds to a new reality. Explore the Perception Box series hub ► https://bigthink.com/perception-box/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/videos/jaleel-white-on-the-greatest-perspective-shift-of-his-life/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description © Freethink Media Inc., All Rights Reserved. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Youtube Member Get exclusive classes and early, ad-free access to new releases without leaving Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/@bigthink/membership/ ►Become a Big Think Web Member Get the entire Big Think Class library, premium print issues, live events, and more. https://bigthink.com/membership/ ►Subscribe to Big Think on Substack Get all of your favorite Big Think content delivered to your inbox. https://bigthinkmedia.substack.com/subscribe/ ►Listen to Big Think Interviews on Spotify Insights from the world's biggest thinkers, now as a podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/7KRYoRD1NdF2aoQcBMyPlb