These are all very good, thanks for sharing. I'd push back slightly on the 21st as there are things we genuinely can't control, and not everyone starts with equal exposure to randomness in the first place. But ofc I get the point!
Also, I'd add one just after linkedin and instagram: don't fall for Substack either ;)
"Everyone is always going on about how sad everyone is, how lonely everyone is, how unhealthy everyone is, yet everyone is still desperate to be like everyone else. Explain that one to me?"
This part alone is worth 100 articles on it.
Really enjoyed reading this, I agree with everything you said here, which tells me you're a very smart person.
Reading this, I kept coming back to a simple question: how many of our beliefs are genuinely ours? Retirement, hustle, passion, status, success—many of these ideas arrive prepackaged long before we examine them. Whether we ultimately accept or reject them matters less than whether we chose them consciously in the first place.
What i have honestly seen is that thinking informs doing. If I don’t address my thinking - I often have no idea what to do. This is where we might disagree - thinking is the most fundamental principle and doing stems from thinking
A lot of people have the idea that you just do actions and thinking will take care of itself - this is a very dangerous notion because you are essentially acting like a zombie. To act first you need to be able to think properly. That being said action is obviously necessary- but it’s not the fundamental staring point. This puts me at odds with almost every motivational speaker.
Only time will tell if I am correct. But I am seeing enough evidence for my side. Thinking is the foundation absolutely.
don’t get me wrong, i think. and it’s important. but i’ve found that the traits i value most (courage, discipline, usefulness, etc) are the result of doing, not thinking. you can’t think your way to being more courageous.
Ultimately all thoughts have to be translated to action. Thinking and understanding is what sustains the right action. Action for actions sake creates inefficiency. Why are you doing what you do? Is what you are doing making sense? Does what you do actually work? What is the truth? - thinking provides answers for all these questions
Great article but for #11 I think finding your passion essentially means find what you are naturally better and double down on the same but if we go by what you shared i.e. practicing your art that may get us back to old English society where son of a blacksmith was disguised to do the same and may become very good at it also but it might never had been their passion.
I get what you meant but then what is the meaning of exploring the best thing to do for you?
(13) reminds me of a quote I heard recently, "A consistent idiot always beat a distracted genius." At a particular point, it really is just who wants it more and who can build an environment/system to get the most reps in.
Idiots all the way up. *Chef's kiss*
So important to remember. Learn from anyone and everyone you can, but don't be intimidated or talked down to.
Everyone else is just doing what they think is best too.
Whatever you decide is just as valid.
These are all very good, thanks for sharing. I'd push back slightly on the 21st as there are things we genuinely can't control, and not everyone starts with equal exposure to randomness in the first place. But ofc I get the point!
Also, I'd add one just after linkedin and instagram: don't fall for Substack either ;)
not everyone will be as lucky. but everyone can get luckier.
I agree, there is no such thing as luck. But there is one other, more powerful: bad luck.
the graveyard is full of people that had plans for tomorrow. do it now.
DO IT. DO IT. DO IT NOW.
"Everyone is always going on about how sad everyone is, how lonely everyone is, how unhealthy everyone is, yet everyone is still desperate to be like everyone else. Explain that one to me?"
This part alone is worth 100 articles on it.
Really enjoyed reading this, I agree with everything you said here, which tells me you're a very smart person.
maybe it’ll get its own post one day…
Feels like obvious common sense when you put it that way - problem with common sense is the word common
Just started reading Naval - need to finish - I don’t agree with everything he says but he has a way of looking at things which is refreshing
he won’t waste your time with any unnecessary words, that’s for sure.
These are all genuinely good. Thanks for sharing.
thanks for reading.
having hope is probably the most punk rock thing you could do right now!!
Reading this, I kept coming back to a simple question: how many of our beliefs are genuinely ours? Retirement, hustle, passion, status, success—many of these ideas arrive prepackaged long before we examine them. Whether we ultimately accept or reject them matters less than whether we chose them consciously in the first place.
“the unexamined life is not worth living”
Fuck bro I need to think too much about this.
doing > thinking
What i have honestly seen is that thinking informs doing. If I don’t address my thinking - I often have no idea what to do. This is where we might disagree - thinking is the most fundamental principle and doing stems from thinking
A lot of people have the idea that you just do actions and thinking will take care of itself - this is a very dangerous notion because you are essentially acting like a zombie. To act first you need to be able to think properly. That being said action is obviously necessary- but it’s not the fundamental staring point. This puts me at odds with almost every motivational speaker.
Only time will tell if I am correct. But I am seeing enough evidence for my side. Thinking is the foundation absolutely.
don’t get me wrong, i think. and it’s important. but i’ve found that the traits i value most (courage, discipline, usefulness, etc) are the result of doing, not thinking. you can’t think your way to being more courageous.
Ultimately all thoughts have to be translated to action. Thinking and understanding is what sustains the right action. Action for actions sake creates inefficiency. Why are you doing what you do? Is what you are doing making sense? Does what you do actually work? What is the truth? - thinking provides answers for all these questions
I have come to another conclusion- figuring out how reality works is all that matters. And thinking leads to that.
As a 20 year old, thank you for this
Terrific gut punches, amazingly put and so necessary. Yikes I gotta shake things up now
luckmaxxing
Beautifully written. So blunt and straight forward.
this is really good!
Great article but for #11 I think finding your passion essentially means find what you are naturally better and double down on the same but if we go by what you shared i.e. practicing your art that may get us back to old English society where son of a blacksmith was disguised to do the same and may become very good at it also but it might never had been their passion.
I get what you meant but then what is the meaning of exploring the best thing to do for you?
(13) reminds me of a quote I heard recently, "A consistent idiot always beat a distracted genius." At a particular point, it really is just who wants it more and who can build an environment/system to get the most reps in.