PRINCIPLES

Do what you speak. Never speak on what you be.

In that order. Truth first — gain knowledge, learn true things, level yourself up. Health second — body, mind, sleep, fitness. Wealth last — it follows from the other two.

Until you've proven your hypothesis correct. The foundation of science is to look for disconfirmation, not confirmation. If you fail to knock your belief down, you can begin to trust it.

Not a verdict. It's the data you need to get where you're going.

With what you have. Nothing more is needed.

Any framework, method, or label you impose on yourself is just as likely to be a limitation as an opening.

Always. Make your bed.

Keep searching until you find your calling.

Wise men who know they are fools, and fools who think they are wise.

Never dismiss people because they have difficult names or unfamiliar clothes. It's like a filter on a photograph — it doesn't change the shape of what's beneath.

Build things users love. Make more than you spend.

An insatiably curious approach to life and an unrelenting quest for continuous learning.

A commitment to test knowledge through experience, persistence, and a willingness to learn from mistakes.

The continual refinement of the senses — especially as the means to enliven experience.

Going up in smoke. A willingness to embrace ambiguity, paradox, and uncertainty.

The balance between science and art, logic and imagination. Whole-brain thinking.

The cultivation of grace, ambidexterity, fitness, and poise.

Systems thinking. A recognition of the interconnectedness of all things and phenomena.

Just as a maestro uses a mirror to see his painting in reverse, do the same with your beliefs. Make the strongest possible argument against your belief. Seek perspective by reviewing your beliefs from a distance — would your views change if you were another gender, race, from another country, 20 years older or younger, from a different economic class?

High tolerance for uncertainty. As change accelerates, ambiguity multiplies, and illusions of certainty become more difficult to maintain. The ability to thrive with ambiguity must become part of our everyday lives.

Learn them, adapt a mindset for them to be tested, then break them when necessary. Following rules makes your work look like everyone else's. "If we play by the rules too strictly, if we take them too literally, we are crushed by those around us who are not so foolish." — Robert Greene

Avoid them. Create your own style and stop following the herd. If you're following the herd, the view never changes.

Knowing when to leave is important — the job, the party, the relationship.

Amplify the simple. Simplify the complex.

Your ideas with others.

Someone who is never so overcome with fear that he cannot act in the right way. — Aristotle

Your mind is a weapon. Keep it loaded.

Reigns supreme. Be interested and interesting.

Ask uncommonly clear questions. "The stupidity of people comes from having an answer for everything. The wisdom of the novel comes from having a question for everything." — Milan Kundera

Approach every problem assuming you might be wrong. Search for new solutions to the point of being dissatisfied with the status quo.

The world's tallest buildings flex and sway as the ground moves. The most successful people aren't "strong" — they're flexible.

Is not money. You can always get more money — never more time. Trade money for time, not time for money.

Look good, feel good.

Nearly everything.

Disconfirmation is a gift.

Make, break, iterate. Trial and error. Try, fail, diagnose, redesign, try again.

Spend time thinking about an authentic and motivating purpose.

And believe you have something to offer.

Always tell the truth. Be clear, be straight, no exceptions. — Sam Harris

Be yourself. Be your word. Exercise integrity.

The only kind that matters.

Just as important as learning.

Look for things that don't make sense. The world always makes sense — when it's confusing, your model is wrong. Things that don't make sense are a learning opportunity.

Be conservative in what you do, be liberal in what you accept from others. Hold yourself to a higher standard than you hold others to. — David Perell

Corporations reward conformity, but the Internet rewards people who are unique. Strive to be the only person who does what you do. — David Perell

Rather than subscribing to widely accepted views, verify them yourself. Assume you are incorrect until you've proven your hypothesis correct.

There is infinite wisdom inside paradox. When you find two opposites that are both true, start exploring. "The only constant is change." "The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know."

Almost all the most observant people share one characteristic: they are simultaneously insiders and outsiders. They are insider enough to receive secrets and catch inside jokes, but they don't let themselves get too close. By spending time alone or bouncing between social groups, they avoid groupthink and make poignant observations. — Marshall McLuhan

When multiple explanations are equally persuasive, assume the simplest is true. Remove unnecessary assumptions. Trust the lowest-complexity answer.

Sometimes you improve your life by taking things away, not adding them. The foods you avoid matter more than the foods you eat.

Doing one thing requires giving up another. Whenever you explicitly choose to do one thing, you implicitly choose not to do another.

Someone able to challenge me, and open to being challenged.

An independent thinker willing to hear alternative points of view, objectively.

Everyone deserves it.

When everyone zigs, zag. Not afraid to color outside the lines, challenge the status quo, and defy conventional wisdom.

Physical connections are common. Mental connections are rare. Both are necessary.

Respect your mother. Look out for your sister.

Always tell the truth. Be clear and be straight. No exceptions.

Inquisitive, open to learning. Not afraid to ask questions or admit when they don't know something.

Unique taste in music. Personal sense of style.

Self-motivated and guided by a unique set of interests, passions, and beliefs.

Doesn't constantly seek validation from social media. Understands their true value.

To love is to be vulnerable. Let your guard down.

Less is always more.

Your friends and partner. Notice when they're having a bad day. Carry some of their burden when they're overloaded.

Respect them. Detox yourself from the "everything should be in the open" propaganda.

Value anyone who supports you with nothing to gain from it. Find relationships where both parties treat each other well because they're inspired to — not because they fear negativity.

Be open to learning from new experiences. Experience thoughts and feelings without obsessively clinging to them. Don't see people (including yourself) as unable to change.

Make time to talk about the good and the bad. Be open to being wrong. Be honest. Lies beget lies. Arguments are normal — you won't always be happy.

Leave the past in the past — this includes exes. Learn from it, then let it go.

Centralized groups share one history, beliefs, and behaviors. Decentralized groups are many small clusters whose only common thread is you. Humans are mimetic — diversify.

Show up on time. If you're not early, you're late.

Dress well, and appropriately. You have 4 seconds to make a first impression. Looks get you in the door — personality keeps you there.

Watch what you say. Practice what you say. Be what you speak.

Receive a guest with the same attitude you have when alone. Alone, maintain the attitude you'd have receiving guests.

Dangerous books.

Those who do not learn from it are doomed to repeat it.

Partake at regular intervals. Eat with moderation. Never to the point of satisfaction.

Either like you are king, or like you don't give a fuck who is king.

Pay attention to the small things. Show others you were listening.

If you eat, invest, and think according to what the news advocates, you'll end up nutritionally, morally, and financially bankrupt.

Hold them. Whenever possible.

The art on your walls says a lot about you. How you keep your space shows others what speaks to you, what motivates you, what you believe is worth seeing daily.

Say a lot about you. Never look down on anyone — unless you're admiring theirs.

Keep it clean and organized.

Your body is your temple. What you eat says more than you realize — about discipline, consistency, and the relationship you have with yourself.

Better to have 4 quarters than 100 pennies. You're a reflection of the five people you spend the most time with. A Bugatti has 2 seats. A bus has 30.

Select them like you select your clothes every morning. If you want control over your life, control your mind first.

Move in it. Silence is a vote of confidence in yourself.

Normalize saying it without over-explaining. The best weight you'll ever lose is the weight of other people's opinions.

Channel it into positive things. It takes more energy to be negatively condescending than positively optimistic.

What you speak. A rich man doesn't need to tell people he's rich. A confident man doesn't need to tell people he's confident. The persona is the front.

Embrace them. Would the Tower of Pisa be a tourist attraction if it weren't leaning? Imperfections and authenticity go hand in hand.

Yours to define. Stop subscribing to other people's definitions. Fun can be a party — or a night alone reading a book.

But alert.

But confident.

But ready.

But sharp.

Embrace it.

Be surprising, social, and scarce.

Are you controlling it, or is it controlling you? Treat your devices like a chimp army. Demote them from time to time.

When alone, mind your thoughts. With friends, mind your tongue. When angry, mind your temper. In a group, mind your behavior. In trouble, mind your emotions. When blessed, mind your ego.

Never be a prisoner to your past. It was just a lesson — good or bad — not a life sentence.

Your mind is meant for having ideas, not holding them. Get them out of your head.

Get serious about protecting your internet traffic.

Get comfortable using aliases in real-life situations.

Encryption is a right, not a privilege.

Use it whenever possible. Offer to show a stranger how to set up a wallet.

Study it. Especially the fallacies.

Learn to write some. Automate the boring tasks.

Compare the person you are today to who you were yesterday. Avoid comparing yourself to others entirely.

Avoid people who say what they think you want to hear, only to show the opposite through their actions later on.

Everything popular is wrong.

Turn it off. Read books, listen to podcasts, explore your curiosities instead.

Comparison is the thief of joy. Stop comparing yourself to others. "It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own." — Marcus Aurelius

Don't be overheard doing it. Not even to yourself.

On social media, in relationships, in your own head. "Stay away from negative people. They have a problem for every solution." — Einstein

Small talk is for small minds.

A trap to a never-ending now. The structure blinds us to history. You are the product.

Timing is almost never right. Now is as good as any.

One of the biggest forces of evil. If you're resentful, either you're being neurotic and need to take responsibility — or someone is taking advantage of you. Which is it?

"You will stop worrying about what people think of you when you realize how seldom they do." — David Foster Wallace

A mistake repeated more than once is a decision. Your last mistake is your best teacher.

Not everyone will agree with you. Aim for 1,000 devoted fans over 100,000 mildly interested ones.

Two ears, one mouth.

Don't suffer before you need to. It will happen or it won't.

Don't waste energy on the political crisis du jour. Daily political dramas are a time-sink.

Carried by haters, spread by fools, accepted by idiots.

Don't post it. Don't engage with it. Using your time to be publicly right is a war you'll never win.

Stop attaching significance to it. Angel numbers, astrology signs — it's far easier to see what we want to see. Use science and rationality.

You cannot escape life by partying every night and pretending everything is fine in the morning.

Avoid people who say what they think you want to hear, only to show the opposite through their actions later.

Learn to find false assumptions in others' arguments. Most public lies sound fine until you find their unspoken assumptions.

Withhold judgment until you can decide based on evidence.

Everything popular is wrong.

Turn it off. Read books, listen to podcasts, explore your curiosities.

Never respond to it. When people are rude, they reveal who they are, not who you are. Move on in silence.

It was a lesson, good or bad — not a life sentence.

"You should always let people underestimate you. Because when they misappraise your intelligence and abilities, they're merely pointing out their own vulnerabilities." — Edward Snowden

Be your own biggest skeptic. Break assumptions down to their fundamental truths and reason upward from first principles.

Find work that feels like play — it's very hard to compete with someone like that. "Do what you love is for amateurs. Love what you do is the mantra for professionals." — Seth Godin

Done is better than perfect. You haven't achieved full maturity until you realize everyone is just winging it.

Avoid readymade roles and prefabricated templates. Create your own evolving path by connecting seemingly disparate passions, skill sets, and beliefs.

Earn with your mind, not your hours.

The quickest way to succeed is to start now and figure it out as you go. You can't learn to drive in a parked car.

Don't attach to a person, place, company, or project. Attach to a mission, a calling, a purpose. That's the only way to retain power and peace.

Avoid competition. Stop copying what everybody else is doing. If you work on problems no one else is solving, you have no competitors. Life is easier when you don't compete.

Talented people hit targets others can't hit. Geniuses find targets others can't see. Strive for the latter. — David Perell

Avoiding stupidity is easier than trying to be brilliant. Instead of asking "How can I help?" ask "What's hurting the most and how can I avoid it?"

Complex systems that work always evolve from simple systems that worked. You can't design complexity from scratch — you have to start simple and iterate.

Work expands to fill the time available. Set deadlines accordingly.

Hospitality is delighting your guests with an unexpected gift. Write a thread? Share an extra idea.

Distill your obsessions into content — writing, video, graphics.

Focus on value creation first. How can you help others learn?

If you can't see yourself working with someone for life, don't work with them for a day.

Embrace it at all costs. The obstacle is the way. Fail better.

Find someone to critique your every step. We already know what we're doing right. It's much harder to see what we're doing wrong.

Crawl before you walk. Sucking at something is the first step to getting good at something.

Be the change. Take initiative to change the narrative.

One of the best ways to challenge your ideas is to teach them.

Share your ideas freely. The best way to refine a thought is to put it in front of others.

The only process that matters.

Find a part-time passion that lets you be productive under your own command.

Invest in it. Do small deals on trust. Take others at their word, and let yourself be challenged by yours.

In education and relationships, not single deals or whatever is hot right now.

Put your money where your values are, and trust that partnership through thick and thin.

If you want advice, ask for money. If you want money, ask for advice.

Work and credit when due.

Shouldn't be part of the equation. Hierarchy is the enemy of good work.

Don't ask for it. Ask forgiveness later if things don't go as planned.

If it's not broke, break it. Reward dissent.

"Compound interest is the 8th wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn't, pays it." — Einstein

Independence over income. Make money with your mind, not your time.

Always act in a way that increases them.

Stop hoping for completion. Most people think one day it will be done. The error is to think things will eventually be different.

Don't be afraid to start over. You're not starting from scratch — you're starting from experience.

The highest purpose in life cannot be reduced to any particular relationship.

A system is only as strong as its weakest point. Focus on the bottleneck. Optimize the whole system, not individual components.

Lead with value first. If you want people to share your content, it has to be about them, not you.

The best secrets are hidden in plain sight. Things so well-known they aren't well-seen. Look for what everyone sees but nobody notices.

Choose your battles wisely. You don't need to get good at doing difficult things if you get good at avoiding difficult things. Pick battles you can win.

Simple, clear principles give rise to intelligent behavior. Complex rules create stupid behavior.

Change starts away from the spotlight, then moves toward the center. The most interesting ideas at a conference never come from the main stage — they come from the hallways and the bar after sunset.

Markets aggregate knowledge. Prices are a signal wrapped in an incentive.

The gap between new technology and old social norms creates massive opportunity. But the window is short. Move fast when you spot it.

Take initiative to doubt the default. You get paid for being right first — and to be first, you can't wait for consensus.

Don't argue with people about what "can't be done." Win the argument by doing it.

If you want your team to push boundaries, get in the trenches with them.

The only way to solve problems smarter is to approach them from new angles.

For breakthrough ideas, look outside your field, not within it.