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Your real goal is freedom. To do what you want, to not do what you don't want to do, freedom from money, from your emotions or things that disturb your peace.
Your goal is to fulfill the truest, highest expression of yourself as a human being. Align your personality with your purpose.
Actualizing our true nature, having a correct understanding of the nature of things and beings.
Pursuing knowledge. The unexamined life is not worth living.
The purpose of human life is to love whoever is around to be loved. Think about what people talk about in eulogies - it's always about what we gave, how we connected, how much we meant to our family and friends, small kindnesses and lifelong passions.
Humans exist for the sake of one another. You should add value to others.
Our goal is to develop as much wisdom as possible, as early as possible. It's to see the truth for what it is, to tame our animal instincts and grow as a higher being.
Helping others. Creating something great. Learning and discovering how things work. Connecting with others.
It's the default state, it's when you feel like nothing is missing from your life.
Remove desires, don't think too much about the future or the past, really embrace the present moment and the reality of what is, and the way it is. Hang around with happy people.
The experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one's life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.
Research shows that the following elements are strong predictors of happiness: earning some income (about ยฃ75k), having strong relationships, exercising, getting good sleep, being mindful, doing acts of kindness, feeling a sense of purpose, and having goals.
Stop expecting the best out of life, be happy with what you have. Don't be too harsh on yourself, laugh at your mistakes. Spend time with yourself and be clear about what you want and how you're feeling. Remember that you're just one human in the universe - most of your problems probably don't really matter. Embrace who you truly are.
Happiness is a state of inner fulfillment, not the gratification of inexhaustible desires for outward things.
Knowing how to tune in with your instinct is probably the most vital thing to work out in life. And when you have that gut feeling, go with it.
You should listen to your instinct - your emotional GPS. It will lead you to the right place for you to achieve your purpose, even if it doesn't seem ideal first. All the best decisions I've made came from listening to my instinct.
Sometimes, there is no perfect decision. There is the one you pick, and agree to commit to.
You might find it helpful to consider your decision from different point of views: 1) What would your enemies want you to do? 2) What does your reason say? 3) What would you do if you were incredibly courageous? 4) Think about the day of your death. What will you regret? 5) What does your gut say?
Pursue the things you're naturally curious about, even if they don't make sense now. You can only connect the dots backwards. You have to trust in something โ your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.
Never consider doing anything which would break your integrity or which comes from hate.
Choose the plan with the most options. The best plan is the one that lets you change your plans.
The rule of thumb Iย use is the 'full body yes'. You need to check if your head, gut and heart say 'yes'. If at least one says 'no', then you shouldn't go for it.
You can use the 'fear setting exercise'. Answer the following questions: 1) What is the worst thing that could happen if you chose to do it? 2) What steps could you take to repair the damage? 3) What are the outcomes or benefits of more probable scenarios? 4) What is the cost of inaction? and 5) What are you waiting for?
There are people who prefer to say 'Yes', and there are people who prefer to say 'No'. Those who say 'Yes' are rewarded by the adventures they have, and those who say 'No' are rewarded by the safety they attain. There are far more 'No' sayers around than 'Yes' sayers, but you can train one type to behave like the other.
You should embrace work, as it is what makes us transform objects into art. It allows us to better understand our planet and the way it works. You should put your heart into your work and always think about the greater purpose of what you're doing. Work done without motivation is not worth it.
In our career, we all yearn five elements: achieving our potential, having a good lifestyle, helping others, being socially validated, and being financially safe. You must spend time unpacking all those categories, what they mean for you and which ones do you prioritise over others.
Live where everything is happening. Say yes to everyone, pursue every opportunity - you never know which one will win. Own as close to 100% as possible of your ideas.
Work as hard as you can. But who you work with and what you work on are more important than how hard you work.
Do what feels like play and looks like work to others. Refine what you do until you're the best at it. Do something that has an aspect of creativity so you will never be replaced/automated.
You've got to find what you love. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it.
Ask yourself every morning: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?". If the answer is "No" for too many days in a row, you need to change something.
You should seek work that allows you to use your character strengths and enter a state of flow as often as possible.
Do what pays well. Follow the money, it tells you where youโre most valuable.
Get to know yourself. Think about everything you've ever enjoyed doing - even if it didn't make any money and try to find patterns. Accept that it's a long process. And finally, try something. Don't get paralysed by choice.
You should follow the projects that allow you to either 1) grow yourself and your skills or 2) meet people you admire and can learn from
We are not made to only experience pleasure, but also to ย work. You cannot control intellect but you can control hard work. Do not seek praise.
Study microeconomics, game theory, psychology, persuasion, ethics, mathematics, and computers.
The single most important thing is the alumni network youโre going to build. Think about who you will work with and what those people are going on to do.
There is no real doing without being first. Being in touch with who you are is much more important than what you do; and is also what fuels what you do.
Imitate the best strategies of your competitors. The market doesnโt care about your personal need to be unique.
Learn the multiplying skills - speaking, writing, psychology, design, conversation, languages, persuasion, programming, meditation/focus.
You cannot choose your intellect, but you can display virtues which are in your own power - integrity, dignity, hard work, self-denial, contentment, frugality, kindness, independence, simplicity, discretion, magnanimity.
Seek wealth, not money or status. Wealth is having assets that earn while you sleep. You must own equity - a piece of a business - to gain your financial freedom. Pick an industry where you can play long term games with long term people. Focus on producs with no marginal cost of replication (code and media).
You should embrace it, as often the best things require pain and effort. You should welcome pain for the learnings it provides you.
Always look for the positive side of things. After a while your brain will do it automatically.
You canโt be good at grief. Itโs not something that is to be mastered. Itโs something thatโs to be survived. It will come out as the most uncomfortable feeling for you, and you shouldn't fight it.
You should focus on what's under your control. Do not drag on the sadness of loss, move on.
Remove the thought 'I am hurt' and the hurt itself is removed.
Try to distance yourself from the issue and see it as another person. Be kind to you, think of it as "Hey me, we're in this together!". Frame everything as "interesting" instead of "bad". It will open up opportunities for what to make of it.
You should always leave space for the other, and remain independent. You should only give to the other, and not take from them. You should not change nor ask them to change.
Make many 'bids' towards your partner (gestures towards them) and respond to their bids.
Every couple will face moments of rupture and repair. To face those, you need four skills. 1/ the ability to apoligise 2/ the ability to forgive 3/ the ability to teach your partner how you feel and what works for you 4/ the ability to learn what your partner is, and the modesty to admit you still have things to improve on
Love is a one-way street: you should not love someone because they love you, but because you love them either way.
Do not expect anything from your partner. Do things for the sake of them and not for reciprocity. Your feelings should not make you irrational.
Look for someone who is kind to you, someone with whom you can be vulnerable and open up, someone who is interested in understanding you - and you're interested in understanding too.
There are three key ingredients necessary: you should have an epic friendship with them (enjoy their humour, have fun together), you should feel at home (safe, accepted for who you are) and they should be committed to having a healthy relationship (communicating, being equal).
You should not try to compete with others. True rewards come from improving yourself.
You should treat others with respect. You should be kind to others as you could be in their position. You should not be angry at others' behaviour, just show them the right way. Do not expect anything from others.
You should always remember that everyone was a child once and has been hurt one way or another in their lives, and this is likely to be the reason for their negative emotions and behaviours. Show compassion.
You should be always be kind. That doesn't mean to be soft. You can lead with strength and determination but have people's best interests at heart.
You should give to others, without asking for anything back. You should listen to others and appreciate their opinion. There is no good or bad, so if you find yourself in a lucky position you should never judge or criticize others.
Think from first principles. Start with your goal, then work backwards - why doesn't it happen already? What's the core problem that you need to solve for it to happen? Don't assume things are the way they are because they're the best possible way.
Find a third place that isn't your home or your work. Isolate yourself for as long as you can - a few hours, a day, a week with no interruption and no company.
Don't put too much pressure on your creativity. Accept inspiration as something that happens to you sometimes, rather than something you are. Just be disciplined and show up every day so you're here when she comes.
Set up time to think. Itโs only after youโre bored that you have the great ideas.
You should be a chef, and not a cook. That is, you should reason from first principles instead of by analogy.
Get rid of your ego, and seek to see the truth. Don't ignore your mistakes, recognise and learn from them. Pain + Reflection = Progress.
You need to see the truth. To do that, you have to get your ego and emotions out of the way.
A man who opts to live a life with no principles to steer by usually gets a big surprise from fate while he is sitting back and yawning.
You should be spiritual - that means, you should have a practice to take care of yourself, and keep yourself centered.
Our goal in life should be to build an emotional education as well, that is, to be a good, balanced human being. For that, you need to face and repair the traumas that happened to you before.
Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
Your life is yours. So live for yourself, put yourself first, and don't look for permission to do so. Be brave - heart open, powerful, and full of all of your agency.
You should live a virtuous life and do the right thing, regardless of what society tells you to do.
Play iterated games. All the returns in life come from compound interest.
Embrace whatever happens to you. Always stay true and just.
In the middle, we are left missing a framework for how to see and live life. We hope this collection of wisdom will help you answer your questions and create your own set of principles.