A list of contrarian ways to get ahead of everyone else
• read old books
• watch old movies
• read history
• think about the lessons of history
• study the greats
• read biographies
• think long-term, then act like it
• be a little full of yourself (back it up with results)
• be ok with not pleasing people
• speak plainly and to the point
• say what you mean, mean what you say (no fluff or BS)
• say "i don't know" a lot
• ask a lot more questions
• listen intently
• study various interests... try to know a little about a lot... then connect dots others can't
• combine empiricism with faith that's required to think long-term with confidence it will pay off
• don't watch the news
• opt out of current affairs altogether (ruthlessly curate your twitter feed)
• let people have bad opinions... it's not your place to correct them
• respect your mortality (think about it often)
• focus on relationships more than anything. You cannot buy them later if you think you can forgo them for the time being. It doesn't work like that.
• ruthlessly chase money without needing it
• kill your desire to be liked or known
• read lots of fiction
• take action now, faster. Stop loading up your to-do list, thinking that that is doing something. get shit done now
• buy bitcoin
• understand why you're buying it. Deeply understand it
• be strong, resilient, resourceful, skilled, body and mind.
• don't compare yourself to others. Compare yourself to your past self and to your idealized self.
• don't shame or be shamed. Destroy all the shame in your life.
• Don't force. Study wu wei... understand it, and you'll see how fundamental it is (and how powerful it is when applied)
• Think for yourself. think contrarian. Challenge everything. Aim to dismantle every point, especially your own.
• Slow down. Do deeper, more meaningful things. Discard the shallow
Finally, spend 10 years doing this, and you'll build a life others envy.
It'll be the easiest and hardest thing you've ever done.