I'm starting to think that Mike Shinoda is an extraordinarily optimistic person.

I, of course, can only make educated guesses as to how any famous person truly is - but the advantage to admiring musicians is that their work is usually highly personal in one way or another, so fans get more of a chance to observe them.

A fan asked him once how to not lose the drive to pursue their dreams with people all around them rejecting/discouraging them and he replied "challenge your work, but believe in yourself."

He had to Believe in himself when "professional" record execs all around him were telling him that he didn't fit in his own band, or that he should silence his voice, lay low and stick to the keyboards. [I mean, It's your fucking DREAM and people are just shitting all over your heart.] Not easy.

Also, some of his lyrics suggest that in the past, he was surrounded by someone/people who were being self-destructive (who, incidentally, he cared enough about to put in a SONG), and he had to deal with that... and manage not to be dragged down into it.

He has so many songs about how he's felt isolated, and alone, and alien and unlike everyone. Written about the pits of desolation and darkness.

"Right now I don't know why I pushed through the pain that I got through, and I'm losing hope." -MS

But he's managed to withstand and come out of all of that, feeling confidence in himself and in his work - which, when you look at all of that ^^^ is nothing short from a miracle of will. It takes so much endurance to not give up, and I don't think everyone could have risen out of his situation the way he did.

Plus he's fucking hot as hell,

and more talented that most human beings will ever be aware of.

Difficult not to love him.

So yeah, this made me reflect a lot so I wanted to share with people who'd care about the subject.

Why do YOU love [insert LP band member(s) name here]?