Weekly Wisdom #330 - Uncomfortable Paths, Randomness, Rationality & Courage

Uncomfortable Paths, Randomness, Rationality & Courage

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Happy Tuesday!

It's almost a weekly occurrence for me to think "what are you doing?"

I see job opportunities, stories about tech companies blowing up, other founders having success, people who all seem to have their lives together in a way that I don't right now.

It's normal. It's the world we live in now.

It's why social media doesn't make us feel good: the top 1% are accessible to everyone, and it makes it seem like it's the norm. Like we're behind.

That's not the reality, of course. But we aren't wired to remember that.

What gets me back on track when I'm feeling behind? Sitting down and working on the next thing.

Reminding myself that I get to choose what I do every day, and that's very rare. Reminding myself that I chose this path for a reason, and to be patient with results, and impatient with my efforts.

Choosing a new path, a risky one, will always come with doubt, and uncertainty, and days where you think you've made the wrong choice.

But it's those uncomfortable experiences that we remember, that shape us, and that help us grow the most.

Have a great week!

Graham

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📚 Book Notes: Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets - Nassim Nicholas Taleb​

Taleb's first book has stood the test of time, and remains one of the most eye-opening books I've ever read. His Incerto has changed my thinking more than any other series.

Fooled by Randomness shows that though our world is dominated by randomness, as humans we are not built to deal with it. We see causality where there is none, and stress over things that are random.

We fail to realize when outcomes are driven by randomness, and drive ourselves crazy as a result. And we study and worship those who likely had a large part of their success driven by randomness.

Taleb's writing is also some of the most entertaining I've ever read.Read this book and you'll never see the world the same again.

📖 Article: In Praise of the Gods - Simon Sarris​

Sarris offers some counterpoints to our modern obsession with rationality (something I'm often guilty of).

📖 Article: Best Books for Building a Better Life (My Shortlist)​

Sarris offers some counterpoints to our modern obsession with rationality (something I'm often guilty of).

📣 Quote:

"Brilliant thinking is rare, but courage is in even shorter supply than genius." — Peter Thiel