but I’m not sure what the general difference is between me and most people, or Yvain and me.
I think you should differentiate between intellectual drive and productive drive. Yvain happens to have both.
Intellectual productiveness takes a lot more effort than intellectual consumerism. Surrounding yourself with people who happen to appreciate your intellectual products rewards both intellectual and productive drive. You have to exceed a certain threshold of production before you will get sufficient motivation from those social rewards, though.
I think you should differentiate between intellectual drive and productive drive. Yvain happens to have both.
Intellectual productiveness takes a lot more effort than intellectual consumerism. Surrounding yourself with people who happen to appreciate your intellectual products rewards both intellectual and productive drive. You have to exceed a certain threshold of production before you will get sufficient motivation from those social rewards, though.