A THREAD on timeless ideas shared by @naval during 2018:
1/
Perhaps one reason why yoga and meditation are hard to sustain is that they have no extrinsic value.
Purely single player games.
1/
Perhaps one reason why yoga and meditation are hard to sustain is that they have no extrinsic value.
Purely single player games.
2/
School, politics, sports, and games train us to compete against others.
True rewards - wealth, knowledge, love, fitness, and equanimity - come from ignoring others and improving ourselves.
School, politics, sports, and games train us to compete against others.
True rewards - wealth, knowledge, love, fitness, and equanimity - come from ignoring others and improving ourselves.
3/
Engaging in politics habituates and rewires the brain to value agreement and signaling.
It weakens the ability to reason independently and clearly.
Engaging in politics habituates and rewires the brain to value agreement and signaling.
It weakens the ability to reason independently and clearly.
4/
We are now defined by our chosen identity rather than our inherited identity.
It's progress, but still a trap.
We are now defined by our chosen identity rather than our inherited identity.
It's progress, but still a trap.
5/
Reality is neutral.
Our reactions reflect back & create our world.
Judge, and feel separate & lonely.
Anger, & lose peace of mind.
Cling, & live in anxiety.
Fantasize, & miss the present.
Desire, & suffer until you have it.
Heaven and hell are right here, right now.
Reality is neutral.
Our reactions reflect back & create our world.
Judge, and feel separate & lonely.
Anger, & lose peace of mind.
Cling, & live in anxiety.
Fantasize, & miss the present.
Desire, & suffer until you have it.
Heaven and hell are right here, right now.
6/
You can have the mind or you can have the moment.
You can have the mind or you can have the moment.
7/
Two kinds of happiness. Worldly happiness is reward from our evolutionary program. Get praise, money, drugs, sex. It busies the mind with craving & anxiety. Internal happiness is reward from being in flow. Create, meditate, love, play. It clears the mind & leaves us in peace.
Two kinds of happiness. Worldly happiness is reward from our evolutionary program. Get praise, money, drugs, sex. It busies the mind with craving & anxiety. Internal happiness is reward from being in flow. Create, meditate, love, play. It clears the mind & leaves us in peace.
8/
Boredom is a defense mechanism to avoid having to sit alone with our unaddressed thoughts.
Boredom is a defense mechanism to avoid having to sit alone with our unaddressed thoughts.
9/
A fit body, a calm mind, a house full of love.
These things cannot be bought - they must be earned.
A fit body, a calm mind, a house full of love.
These things cannot be bought - they must be earned.
10/
Changing habits:
Pick one thing. Cultivate a desire. Visualize it. Plan a sustainable path. Identify needs, triggers, & substitutes. Tell your friends. Track meticulously.
Self-discipline is a bridge to a new self-image. Bake in the new self-image.
It’s who you are, now.
Changing habits:
Pick one thing. Cultivate a desire. Visualize it. Plan a sustainable path. Identify needs, triggers, & substitutes. Tell your friends. Track meticulously.
Self-discipline is a bridge to a new self-image. Bake in the new self-image.
It’s who you are, now.
11/
When building habits, choose consistency over content.
The best book is the one you can’t put down.
The best exercise is the one you enjoy doing every day.
The best health food is the one you find tasty.
The best work is the work you’d do for free.
When building habits, choose consistency over content.
The best book is the one you can’t put down.
The best exercise is the one you enjoy doing every day.
The best health food is the one you find tasty.
The best work is the work you’d do for free.
12/
Knowledge is discovered by all of us, each adding to the whole.
Wisdom is rediscovered by each of us, one at a time.
Knowledge is discovered by all of us, each adding to the whole.
Wisdom is rediscovered by each of us, one at a time.
13/
The compound interest from many quick small iterations is greater than the compound interest from a few slow big iterations.
Compound interest operates in most intellectual and social domains.
The compound interest from many quick small iterations is greater than the compound interest from a few slow big iterations.
Compound interest operates in most intellectual and social domains.
14/
Asymmetric opportunities:
Invest in startups
Start a company
Create a book, podcast, video
Create a (software) product
Go on many first dates
Go to a cocktail party
Read a Lindy book
Move to a big city
Buy Bitcoin
Tweet
Asymmetric opportunities:
Invest in startups
Start a company
Create a book, podcast, video
Create a (software) product
Go on many first dates
Go to a cocktail party
Read a Lindy book
Move to a big city
Buy Bitcoin
Tweet
15/
The ideal school would teach health, wealth, & happiness.
It‘d be free, self-paced, & available to all.
It‘d show opposing ideas & students would self-verify truth.
No grades, no tests, no diplomas - just learning.
Actually, you’re already here.
Careful who you follow.
The ideal school would teach health, wealth, & happiness.
It‘d be free, self-paced, & available to all.
It‘d show opposing ideas & students would self-verify truth.
No grades, no tests, no diplomas - just learning.
Actually, you’re already here.
Careful who you follow.
16/
Twitter is a school.
The most spiritual, scientific, and literary minds on the planet freely share their distilled works.
And every fool shouts over them.
Twitter is a school.
The most spiritual, scientific, and literary minds on the planet freely share their distilled works.
And every fool shouts over them.
17/
Doctors won’t make you healthy.
Nutritionists won’t make you slim.
Teachers won’t make you smart.
Gurus won’t make you calm.
Mentors won’t make you rich.
Trainers won’t make you fit.
Ultimately, you have to take responsibility.
Save yourself.
Doctors won’t make you healthy.
Nutritionists won’t make you slim.
Teachers won’t make you smart.
Gurus won’t make you calm.
Mentors won’t make you rich.
Trainers won’t make you fit.
Ultimately, you have to take responsibility.
Save yourself.
18/
In an age of infinite leverage, judgement is the most important skill.
In an age of infinite leverage, judgement is the most important skill.
19/
Success is the enemy of learning.
It can deprive you of the time and the incentive to start over.
Beginner’s mind also needs beginner’s time.
Success is the enemy of learning.
It can deprive you of the time and the incentive to start over.
Beginner’s mind also needs beginner’s time.
20/
The Efficient Markets Hypothesis fails because humans are herd animals, not independent rational actors.
Thus the best investors tend to be antisocial and contrarian.
The Efficient Markets Hypothesis fails because humans are herd animals, not independent rational actors.
Thus the best investors tend to be antisocial and contrarian.
21/
A contrarian isn’t one who always objects - that’s a confirmist of a different sort.
A contrarian reasons independently, from the ground up, and resists pressure to conform.
A contrarian isn’t one who always objects - that’s a confirmist of a different sort.
A contrarian reasons independently, from the ground up, and resists pressure to conform.
22/
Investing favors the dispassionate.
Markets efficiently separate emotional investors from their money.
Investing favors the dispassionate.
Markets efficiently separate emotional investors from their money.
23/
Whether hiring or investing, you don’t get the best deal at the best price.
Whether hiring or investing, you don’t get the best deal at the best price.
24/
Whether you’re excited or nervous when your favorite asset falls in price marks whether you’re investing or merely speculating.
Whether you’re excited or nervous when your favorite asset falls in price marks whether you’re investing or merely speculating.
25/
Tech isn’t competing with tech.
It’s competing with everything else.
Tech isn’t competing with tech.
It’s competing with everything else.
26/
Technology is not only the thing that moves the human race forward, but it’s the only thing that ever has.
Without technology, we’re just monkeys playing in the dirt.
Technology is not only the thing that moves the human race forward, but it’s the only thing that ever has.
Without technology, we’re just monkeys playing in the dirt.
27/
Universities, Incubators, and Venture Capital firms are really “Curation Businesses.”
Universities, Incubators, and Venture Capital firms are really “Curation Businesses.”
28/
Large companies don’t actually have a resource advantage over startups.
Venture financing has become very efficient and a startup that cracks distribution will attract all the talent and money that it needs.
Large companies don’t actually have a resource advantage over startups.
Venture financing has become very efficient and a startup that cracks distribution will attract all the talent and money that it needs.
29/
Productize Yourself.
Productize Yourself.
30/
Escape competition through authenticity.
Escape competition through authenticity.
31/
Build a reputation that makes other people do deals through you.
Wide network, high standards and ironclad integrity.
Build a reputation that makes other people do deals through you.
Wide network, high standards and ironclad integrity.
32/
People with “founder mentality” can’t rest once a problem or opportunity is identified.
There is unlimited global demand for founder mentality.
People with “founder mentality” can’t rest once a problem or opportunity is identified.
There is unlimited global demand for founder mentality.
33/
Better to find a new audience than to write for the audience.
Better to find a new audience than to write for the audience.
34/
Teaching is more a way for the teacher to learn than for the student to learn.
Teaching is more a way for the teacher to learn than for the student to learn.
35/
The selfish reason to be ethical is that it attracts the other ethical people in the network.
The selfish reason to be ethical is that it attracts the other ethical people in the network.
36/
Small deals rely on promises and contracts.
Big deals rely on alignment and trust.
Small deals rely on promises and contracts.
Big deals rely on alignment and trust.
37/
Once you’ve truly controlled your own fate, for better or for worse, you’ll never let anyone else tell you what to do.
Once you’ve truly controlled your own fate, for better or for worse, you’ll never let anyone else tell you what to do.
38/
A taste of freedom can make you unemployable.
A taste of freedom can make you unemployable.
39/
Stories map onto existing archetypes and the real world.
They compress information for humans to convey and remember.
Stories are a high level language for programming people.
Stories map onto existing archetypes and the real world.
They compress information for humans to convey and remember.
Stories are a high level language for programming people.
40/
The older the problem, the older the solution.
How to eat well is one of the oldest problems.
The older the problem, the older the solution.
How to eat well is one of the oldest problems.
