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I have a friend who is 40 and damn near a billionaire.
I asked him what his one key to investing well is... here's what he told me:
I asked him what his one key to investing well is... here's what he told me:
We have a habit of late nights, good wine, and tough questions about the world around us.
One night I was candid asking how he made his fortune. I was looking for things to replicate...
The simplicity of his reply surprised me.
One night I was candid asking how he made his fortune. I was looking for things to replicate...
The simplicity of his reply surprised me.
“I train my brain to perform one task incredibly well.
One task alone... to never conform.”
Here's how he explained it:
One task alone... to never conform.”
Here's how he explained it:
The Funnel to Nonconformity:
+Become a funnel for ideas
+Let ideas fight based on merit, not emotion
+Find courage to act in nonconformity
= Opportunities others never see, or are too scared to act upon
An uncrowded market leads to outsized returns in life, and wealth.
+Become a funnel for ideas
+Let ideas fight based on merit, not emotion
+Find courage to act in nonconformity
= Opportunities others never see, or are too scared to act upon
An uncrowded market leads to outsized returns in life, and wealth.
#1 Don’t Believe In Anger
Anger is useful in physical fights but a killer of logic.
It’s a trick of the mind pushing you into a fight or flight. Let me tell you what you can’t do well when you’re fighting or flighting... think.
Remove your anger.
Anger is useful in physical fights but a killer of logic.
It’s a trick of the mind pushing you into a fight or flight. Let me tell you what you can’t do well when you’re fighting or flighting... think.
Remove your anger.
#2 The Controversy & Conformity Conundrum
There is a spectrum where controversies and conformity sit on two ends of the line. More conformity = less controversial
And yet, most of the wins in life land on the edge of controversy
Choose your controversy wisely, but choose it
There is a spectrum where controversies and conformity sit on two ends of the line. More conformity = less controversial
And yet, most of the wins in life land on the edge of controversy
Choose your controversy wisely, but choose it
#3 Reading As A Diet
Be careful what you read, it becomes the way you think.
Words are heard, then internalized, then repeated, and then habituated.
Curate what you let into your brain as you do with your body.
Be careful what you read, it becomes the way you think.
Words are heard, then internalized, then repeated, and then habituated.
Curate what you let into your brain as you do with your body.
#4 Ideas Strongly Stated & Loosely Held
Having a strong opinion is the mark of intellect but having the ability to change it is the mark of true intelligence.
Only politicians hold one stance forever for fear of flip-flopping, we mortals do better to constantly experiment.
Having a strong opinion is the mark of intellect but having the ability to change it is the mark of true intelligence.
Only politicians hold one stance forever for fear of flip-flopping, we mortals do better to constantly experiment.
#5 Share Your MVP’s
Every time you produce a product or idea, more come back ten-fold.
So don’t make it perfect, make it done. Then let the market decide.
Every time you produce a product or idea, more come back ten-fold.
So don’t make it perfect, make it done. Then let the market decide.
#6 Warren Buffet Doesn’t Optimize
Wake up at 5 am, meditate, work out, drink 72 ounces of chloride water and stand upside down.
Ok.
Or do none of those things and instead focus on thinking clearly, intently, and strategically before you pull any triggers.
Wake up at 5 am, meditate, work out, drink 72 ounces of chloride water and stand upside down.
Ok.
Or do none of those things and instead focus on thinking clearly, intently, and strategically before you pull any triggers.
#7 Boredom As a Superpower
The best ideas need breathing room. They’re a flower stretching for the sun. Clutter them with meetings, and watch them die.
Instead, he clears his schedule every morning with no calls prior to 10am
I do the same, paired w/ 2 no-call days a week
The best ideas need breathing room. They’re a flower stretching for the sun. Clutter them with meetings, and watch them die.
Instead, he clears his schedule every morning with no calls prior to 10am
I do the same, paired w/ 2 no-call days a week
#8 Numbers > Narrative
Anytime something is common practice, check if it’s common sense.
Return to the very first principle there is: 1+1 = 2.
Numbers are often terrible liars.
Anytime something is common practice, check if it’s common sense.
Return to the very first principle there is: 1+1 = 2.
Numbers are often terrible liars.
#9 Can You Explain it to Grandma?
Take that shiny new idea in your head and go explain it to your grandma.
Can you take the complex and make it simple? If not, you don’t know enough.
Strong beliefs paired with little knowledge is a dangerous spot to operate.
Take that shiny new idea in your head and go explain it to your grandma.
Can you take the complex and make it simple? If not, you don’t know enough.
Strong beliefs paired with little knowledge is a dangerous spot to operate.
#10 Every New Learning Is A Little Death
Your skin regenerates itself every 72 days completely.
Your ideas need an equal level of velocity and regeneration. Challenge the old ideas and let them be reborn into something better.
Your skin regenerates itself every 72 days completely.
Your ideas need an equal level of velocity and regeneration. Challenge the old ideas and let them be reborn into something better.
#11 The Toleration Challenge
What if your intellect is measured by how much truth you can tolerate?
Can you be told you’re wrong, and that dress makes you look fat, and you’re getting older, and he’s smarter than you, and take them all in stride?
What if your intellect is measured by how much truth you can tolerate?
Can you be told you’re wrong, and that dress makes you look fat, and you’re getting older, and he’s smarter than you, and take them all in stride?
#12 Trust the Process there are no Shortcuts.
Shortcuts and get-rich-quick schemes will get you lost.
Forget the outcome, focus on the process and watch your destination appear.
Shortcuts and get-rich-quick schemes will get you lost.
Forget the outcome, focus on the process and watch your destination appear.
#13 Never Forget Failures
He keeps a collection of old failures on a wall for all to see.
Most people hang medals, he reminds himself of scars gotten and mistakes mishandled. It keeps you honest.
He keeps a collection of old failures on a wall for all to see.
Most people hang medals, he reminds himself of scars gotten and mistakes mishandled. It keeps you honest.
#14 The Gift of Dissent
Sycophants (yes men) will kill you faster than dissent.
Surround yourself with unruly individuals who make you stand your ground or berate you for not.
Sycophants (yes men) will kill you faster than dissent.
Surround yourself with unruly individuals who make you stand your ground or berate you for not.
#15 Speak Truth, Even When It Hurts
You don’t really hold an idea in your head until you can say it with your lips.
Idea, Word, Action.
You don’t really hold an idea in your head until you can say it with your lips.
Idea, Word, Action.
#16 Fluid intelligence Acceleration
Fluid intelligence is the capacity to reason, make connections, solve problems, and consider abstract concepts.
The fastest way to grow it? Read widely, voraciously and continuously.
Fluid intelligence is the capacity to reason, make connections, solve problems, and consider abstract concepts.
The fastest way to grow it? Read widely, voraciously and continuously.
As we come into the New Year, as personal sovereignty becomes more important... we have to realize, it starts with us
It is not the tactics of money making that matter
The most important thing you can do is train your brain to seek the ideas that stand on their own 2 feet.
It is not the tactics of money making that matter
The most important thing you can do is train your brain to seek the ideas that stand on their own 2 feet.
Finally, I'll leave you with this:
“A contrarian isn’t one who always objects — that’s a conformist of a different sort. A contrarian reasons independently, from the ground up, and resists pressure to conform.”
- Naval
“A contrarian isn’t one who always objects — that’s a conformist of a different sort. A contrarian reasons independently, from the ground up, and resists pressure to conform.”
- Naval
If you like this I’m doing a bigger breakdown on him on our free newsletter https://contrarianthinking.co
