Escape zero-sum thinking • Most advice is crap • Easter Island's Heads have bodies (PICTURES)
- Escape zero-sum thinking
- Most advice is crap
- Easter Island's Heads have bodies (PICTURES)
Thing 1 - Escape zero-sum thinking
Zero-sum thinking will make you miserable.
In a zero-sum world there's one way to win: to knock someone else down.
And when you do, watch your back - someone is coming for you and it's just a matter of time. So in the off-chance that you win, you live in constant angst - how long is it going to last.
Here's how you escape
Start rooting for other people to succeed. Help others win. Most areas in life work like this.
Rising tide does lift all boats. Your ability to own a car doesn't remove my ability to own a car. The more people buy cars, the cheaper cars get and the more people can afford them. Economies of scale.
If you help someone do better, they'll create a better world. And you live in it.
In fact, the poorest person reading this email, has better access to information, computing and healthcare than the richest people of 500 years ago.
Thing 2 - Most advice is crap
Even if it's well-intentioned.
If you ask enough people, it cancels out.
Nobody is more familiar with your situation than you are. When push comes to shove, you'll need to make the decision where you have the most conviction.
And own the consequences.
If you don't own the consequences of your decisions and actions
- you're finding someone else to blame
- you're not celebrating your wins
- you're not learning from your failures
- you can't grow as a person
Does this mean you shouldn't ask for advice?
No. It means you shouldn't outsource your judgment and responsibility to the person you ask for advice.
And when you ask for advice, don't ask everyone.
Ask someone who
- walked the walk you wanna walk
- is familiar with your situation
- wants you to do well
- wins if you win
Feel free to NOT listen to the advice they gave you.
Thing 3 - Easter Island's Heads have bodies (PICTURES)
And they are HUGE!
So why does everybody think they are only heads?
The working theory is that shifting of the soil and sediment of the island covered the lower parts of the body of many sculptures (a.k.a. moai). I mean, this has legs (pun intended) - the figures are almost a millennium old.
Fun fact: "millennium" is also called "kiloannum" and "kiloyear" - to which I say "da heck?" and "yeah, that makes sense".
Many more pictures on Easter Island Statue Project
I wanna hear from you. What did you think of this week's issue?
Till next week!
Cheers, Zvonimir